With the summer holiday season in full swing, John Lamont and the Scottish Conservatives today launched a campaign to stop Labour’s latest money-making ruse - a new stealth tax on Scottish holidays.
Gordon Brown and John Prescott have produced plans for new local taxes. In an interim report last year, they raised the prospect of a new local levy on England’s hotels, hostels and bed & breakfasts. In Scotland, a similar exercise is underway and Unison, amongst others, has called for just such a tourism tax.
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 tourist destinations. Less well-off families would be the hardest hit.
John Lamont, Scottish Conservative Candidate for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, commented:
“The brilliant summer weather has shown what a great place the Scottish Borders is to spend a short break or a holiday. But the great seaside or country holiday is under threat from a ‘bed & breakfast stealth tax’ – Labour’s latest money-making ploy. There’s nothing wrong with choosing to travel abroad, but no-one will benefit from making Scottish holidays a rip-off.”
“Labour and the LibDems have already hiked up council tax bills. Now they want to hike the price of a break in the Scottish Borders. The impact of this madcap plan could be horrendous as it could drive tourists away and hotels and B&Bs to closure. It must be ruled out now.”