Brighton councillor calls for tourist tax powers for England’s local governments
Now UK councils want the power to tax tourists
- Brighton & Hove councillor Bella Sankey advocated for local authorities to be granted powers to implement a tourist tax.
- Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Ms Sankey argued that these powers should primarily belong to local government, not solely combined authorities or elected mayors.
- Brighton attracts approximately 11 million visitors annually, contributing £1.27bn to the local economy, and the proposed tax would allow reinvestment in the city's visitor economy.
- Ms Sankey suggested that a tourism levy could help manage the pressures of high visitor numbers and benefit local businesses.
- Currently, neither central nor local governments in England possess the authority to introduce tourist taxes, unlike Scotland and Wales where legislation permits them.