UK Government urge Plaid to ‘call the dogs off’ over plans for Wales tourism tax
UK Government Ministers have urged Plaid Cymru to “call the dogs off” over plans by the Welsh Government to introduce a tourism tax.
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart urged Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts to discuss the planned tax with her party leader Adam Price, after promising he would speak to the Chancellor over measures to support small businesses with growing energy costs.
The Labour-led devolved Government plans to consult on the proposed tourism tax later this year, with councils likely to have a say over how much they could charge visitors in their areas.
The Welsh Government estimates tourism was worth more than £5 billion to the nation’s economy in 2019.
The tourism tax is promised in a co-operation deal between Labour and Plaid.
Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Ms Saville Roberts told the Commons: “The Oakeley Arms in my constituency is a superb inn located in a grade II-listed building at the heart of Snowdonia National Park. It is off grid, it is limited by regulations on energy efficiency measures, and its owners now face a quadrupling in energy bills.
“Does the Secretary of State agree that small businesses need more support? Will he speak to the Chancellor about extending the price cap to our hard-pressed small and medium-sized businesses?”
‘Despair’
Simon Hart replied: “I will definitely speak to the Chancellor as I often do about these things.
“However, as a deal, perhaps I could suggest a deal to her, which is I will speak to the Chancellor to get further information if she would speak to her leader in Cardiff and perhaps get him to call the dogs off by way of cancelling the tourism tax which Welsh Government wants to impose on businesses, causing further hardship to people in her constituency.”
Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Ms Saville Roberts replied: “If the Secretary of State kept to the powers he has in Westminster, perhaps he would have better support. There are now no Tory councillors in any of the Plaid-held councils along the west coast of Wales.
“Rumours of an economic package are rife, not because the Government care about struggling households and businesses but because, of course, they want to distract from their own lawbreaking.
“Household energy bills will likely increase to £2,800 in the autumn, yet the Chancellor is sitting on his hands until it proves politically convenient. Is the Secretary of State not ashamed of his Government’s behaviour?
Mr Hart said: “I do despair sometimes, with the greatest respect.
“I urge her to wait, for what should not be a great deal more time, to hear precisely what we have in store on the cost-of-living challenges.”
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When they stop the anti-English tourism tax in Devon Cornwall, Yourkshire etc.
Butt out Johnsonites. Nothing to do with you
I suppose we should feel sorry for Simon Hart. How must it feel to be wrong on just about every issue about which one voices an opinion? As for ‘Attack Dogs’ I think he should move his focus to the likes of the Daily Mail and its right wing siblings who take great glee in attacking people who usually have zero opportunity or funding to fight back. Tim Walker’s play “Bloody Difficult Women” captures the malice that exists in their ‘news’ rooms very well (Hopefully it is a play that will tour away from London in due course). As for… Read more »
When they ” call the dogs off” regarding rail funding, and the internal market bill, ensuring we maintain levels of funding as promised post EU, stop the pressure on our Gov regarding GM foods, devolve justice and policing. There again forget that little lot, at let us go our own way, then you can live in your corrupt dictatorship while we forge ahead in a free democratic republic.
Would it be a good idea to submit an FOI request demanding to know the IQ levels of Hart, RT, Cairns and Davies?
Little wonder that they avoided higher education (farm school excepted) as part of their development.
Will they call the dogs off over nuclear power in Wales without consultation? No.
All attempts to interfere with our democracy should be resisted at every opportunity.
Simons current ( scripted ? )utterances and media performances and Boris’ need to re set the Gvt will im sure lead to a new position on the back bench again.
Hey, none of this aggression you lot. Let’s negotiate with Westminster.
We will drop that tax plan IF we get all the funding we would have got from the E.U. and an extra eight billion on top to be used at the Senedd’s description in development projects across Cymru. For the next twenty years.
And we get the £5bn HS2 Barnett consequentials funding given to us along with all moneys raised by the Crown Estates.
The only dog is the lapdog of Simon Hart and his other nasty anti Cymru ‘Welsh tories’. They really hate us.
Antagonistic Simon Hart’s message to Wales is., Do as we say not as we do. You must dance to our tune, or else!.” But since when has he ever listened to Welsh Government & Plaid Cymru’s calls for further devolution. Never! They called for the devolution of the £500m Crown Estates. Hart said no. Power to create a St’David’ Day Bank Holiday. Hart said no. The devolution of Criminal Justice system. Hart said no. Welsh Government input into Brexit negotiations. Hart said no.. It’s all access denied. People visit Wales because we have stunning mountain scenery, castles galore, waterfalls, coastline… Read more »
I urge the UK government to go f@ck themselves
We need less onanism in Westminster not more!
He really is as thick as the rest of them. Why is there a tourist tax? To make up for Westminster underfunding.
Sort it at source Simon or sod off.
We’ve had an election. The barmy right lost. So carry on being the English cabinet tea boy you poor excuse for a representative.
The largest tourist tax is VAT at 20%.
That large amount goes straight to UK government, not to Wales nor the industry.
Wales needs a relatively small, so called, tourist tax to maintain the infrastructure of the resorts caused by extra tourist traffic.
Why should local residents have to pay through the regressive council tax system for the extra wear in their communities caused by extra tourist traffic when many do not even benefit from it?