As the summer holiday season gets into full swing, Tory Group Leader on Norwich City Council, Antony Little, added his name to a new campaign to stop Gordon Brown’s and John Prescott’s latest money-making ruse – a new stealth tax on British holidays.
Mr Brown and Mr Prescott have asked former Labour councillor, Sir Michael Lyons, to produce plans for new local taxes. In December’s interim report, he raised the prospect of a new local levy on local hotels, B&Bs and hostels. Such a tax would hit the City B&Bs very hard including areas such as the Earlham Road.
This would be on top of existing business rates and VAT on hotel bills. Based on similar taxes in other countries, this could potentially add £100 a week to the cost of a family holiday or visit to Britain’s tourist destinations. Less well-off families would be the hardest hit.
Cllr Little, who represents Bowthorpe, said:
“The brilliant summer weather has shown what a great place Britain is to spend a short break or a holiday. But the great British holiday is under threat from a bed & breakfast stealth tax - Gordon Brown's latest money-making ploy."
Conservative Chairman Trevor Ivory echoed the message, saying: “There’s nothing wrong with choosing to travel abroad, but no-one will benefit from making British holidays a rip-off. Gordon Brown and John Prescott have already hiked up council tax bills across Norwich and the country. Now I fear they want to hike the price of a British break. I am adding my name to the campaign to ask the Government to think again.”
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