[ad_1]
Marks & Spencer and Victoria Beckham have joined more than 130 businesses demanding the Government scrap the hated ‘tourist tax’ to boost the economy.
As support for the campaign swells, M&S boss Stuart Machin and Marie Leblanc, the chief executive of Mrs Beckham’s luxury fashion brand, became the latest industry leaders to call for a rethink.
They joined more than 130 hospitality, retail and tourism bosses in writing to the Chancellor warning that the removal of tax-free shopping for holidaymakers was an ‘extraordinary own goal’.
Signatories to the letter, organised by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, include the CEOs of Mulberry, the Royal Opera House and Fortnum & Mason.
They are today backed by more businesses including luxury cake brand Peggy Porschen, jewellers Wartski and Savile Row tailors Huntsman.
The letter brands the Government’s decision in 2021 to scrap the longstanding scheme that allowed international tourists to shop tax-free as ‘puzzling’ and ‘ill-timed’.
They say that reinstating tax-free shopping would benefit both businesses and the taxpayer by boosting tourism across the country.
Today a host of Conservative former Cabinet ministers announced their backing for the Mail’s Scrap The Tourist Tax campaign – piling yet more pressure on Jeremy Hunt.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Damian Green and Sir Robert Buckland urged the Chancellor to look again at tax-free shopping.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain said tax-free shopping encouraged people to visit the UK, but accused the Treasury of dismissing the dynamic benefits it would bring.
‘They are attracted by things like Bicester village – it brings people in and they spend more money in the UK,’ he told the Mail.
‘A lot of them came for the shopping, but they do other stuff – like go to the theatres, they spend their money.’
Sir Iain added: ‘My concern is that the Treasury seems to have this mindset that dismisses the idea of dynamic effect when it comes to taxation.’
The Treasury claims reinstating tax-free shopping would cost £2billion a year, but research suggests there would be a net gain of around £350million a year because of the knock-on benefits.
Campaigners say the additional tourists who would be attracted to Britain would spend across the economy and country – in hotels, restaurants, entertainment and transport – generating separate tax revenues and creating jobs.
Mr Green, former Tory Cabinet minister and now acting chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said scrapping the tax would boost tourism.
He told the Mail: ‘This is hugely important for the tourism industry, and I just don’t believe the figures that show that the Treasury gains from abolishing tax-free shopping.
‘There is credible evidence that the increased tourist revenue that would arrive from more people coming benefits the Exchequer, as well as Britain more widely.’
He said it benefited Britain in terms of revenue and boosted the country’s reputation ‘because people love this country when they see what we have to offer’.
Sir Robert, a former justice secretary, also urged the Government to scrap the tourist tax.
He said: ‘It is vital that the wider benefit to our economy is taken into account by the Treasury. We need to do everything we can to boost our tourist industry and grow our economy.’
And former Tory culture minister Lord Ed Vaizey warned of the impact of the tax on small businesses.
He said: ‘Tax-free shopping is massively important to our economy because it supports lots of small-scale manufacturers based all over the country: artisans and craftspeople making quintessentially British goods that people all over the world want to buy.
‘They come to London to buy them, but they also go to other cities all over the country.
‘Lots of countries want these people’s business – and the first thing the French did when we abolished it was to put kiosks in their train stations and airports for people to reclaim the tax.
‘They think we are idiots for abolishing it, and the Treasury have completely got their figures wrong and they don’t understand the wider impact.
‘It’s a bizarre situation by the Tory Government – supporting a sort-of tax rise that both the SNP and the Labour Party oppose.’
Fellow former Cabinet minister Shailesh Vara added: ‘It seems to me eminently sensible to remove this tax because it will help attract people to the UK, thereby ensuring they spend money across various other sectors such as hotels, restaurants and the tourist industry.’
The campaign has already won cross-party support from the Tories, SNP and Lib Dems – as well as the Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
The 133 top business chiefs backing the Mail’s campaign
Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman, Rocco Forte Hotels
Sean Doyle, CEO and Chairman, British Airways
Thierry Andretta, CEO, Mulberry
Neil Clifford, CEO, Kurt Geiger
Caroline Rush, CEO, British Fashion Council
Alex Beard, CEO, Royal Opera House
Anya Hindmarch, Founder and CEO, Anya Hindmarch
Fraser Brown, Retail Director, Heathrow Airport
Sir Paul Smith, Designer, Paul Smith
Tom Athron, CEO, Fortnum & Mason
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry
Helen Brocklebank, CEO, Walpole
Hannah Colman, CEO, Jimmy Choo
Christopher Cowdray, CEO, Dorchester Collection
Dee Corsi, CEO, New West End Company
Paul Barnes, CEO, Association of International Retail
Gianfilippo Testa, CEO, Alexander McQueen
Paul Jackson, General Manager, Claridge’s
Manju Malhotra, CEO, Harvey Nichols
John Durnin, Business Director, Bicester Village
Knut Wylde, General Manager, The Berkeley
Eric Heerema, Chairman and CEO, Nyetimber
Kiki McDonough, Founder and Creative Director, Kiki McDonough
Sandeep Bhalla, General Manager, The Connaught
Theo Fennell, Founder, Theo Fennell
Andrew Stembridge, Executive Director, Iconic Luxury Hotels
Franck X Arnold, Regional Vice President and Managing Director, The Savoy London
Christian Bachler, Executive Vice President, Wedgwood
Guillaume Marly, Managing Director, Hotel Café Royal
Andrew Henning, General Manager, Grosvenor House Suites
Antony Lindsay, CEO, Fabergé
Thomas Kochs, Managing Director, Corinthia London
Michael Wainwright, Managing Director, Boodles
Philipp and Mark Mosimann, Mosimann’s Private Dining Club
Michael Bonsor, Managing Director, Rosewood London
Claire German, CEO, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour
Julia Carrick, CEO, Julia Carrick Luxury
Hugh Seaborn, CVO and CEO, Cadogan
Joanne Rees, Managing Director, Elizabeth Gage
Trevor Pickett, CEO, Pickett
Brian Duffy, CEO, Watches of Switzerland Group
Pamela Harper, Chairman and CEO, Halcyon Days and The Caverswall China Company
Giles English, Co-Founder, Bremont Watch Company
Chris Roberts, Managing Director, Como Holdings
Sophia Hirsh, Managing Director, Hirsh London
Nicholas Bond, Owner and Director, Franchetti Bond
George Somlo, Director, Somlo Antiques London
Adil Mehboob-Khan, CEO, Liberty London
Luca Donnini, CEO, Temperley London
Derrick Hardman, Managing Director, Global Blue (UK)
David Edwards, Managing Director, Seiko UK
Robert Ettinger, CEO, Ettinger London
Charlie Pragnell, Managing Director, Pragnell
Annoushka Ducas, Founder and Creative Director, Annoushka Jewellery
Erdem Moralioglu, Designer and Philippa Nixon, CEO, Erdem
Sean Gilbertson, CEO, Gemfields
Adrian Maronneau, Managing Director, Bucherer UK
Nicholas Brooke, CEO, Sunspel Limited
Simon Cundey, Managing Director, Henry Poole
Martin Mason, Managing Director, Tricker’s
Sacha Rose, CEO, Derek Rose Ltd
Charlie Holland, CEO, Gusbourne Fine English Wines
Julian Moore, Managing Director, DR Harris
Hilary Freeman, Managing Director, Edward Green
Jamie Gill, Executive Director, Roksanda
Chris Gaffney, CEO, Johnstons of Elgin
Steven Medway, Chief Executive, Knightsbridge Partnership and King’s Road Partnership
Baton Berisha, CEO, The Wolseley Hospitality Group
Jonathan Reekie, Director, Somerset House Trust
Chrissie Rucker, Founder, and Mary Homer, CEO, The White Company
Philip Mould, Founder, Philip Mould and Company
Prudence Gibson, Founder and Creative Director, E P O K
Ewan Venters, CEO, Hauser and Wirth
Jeremy Morris, CEO and Creative Director, David Morris Jewels
Emma Willis, Owner, Emma Willis
Joanne Taylor-Stagg, General Manager, The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences
Mark Evans, Managing Director, Bentley and Skinner
Ben Dalrymple, Managing Director, Lock and Co. Hatters
Emmy Scarterfield, Designer, and Dickie Higgins, Managing Director, Emmy London
Henry Deakin, Managing Director, Deakin and Francis
Dean Girling, Director, Gaziano and Girling
Sue Medway, Director, Chelsea Physic Garden
Archie Hewlett, Founder, Duke and Dexter
Fedro Gaudenzi, Founder and Director, Fedro Gaudenzi
Jonathan Church, Joint Managing Director, Cheaney Shoes Ltd
Irene Mateides, Founder and Publishing Director, FMS
Robert Ogden, Executive Director, Richard Ogden Ltd
Andrew Guest, Commercial Director, Thomas Goode and Co. Ltd
Emma Fox, Chief Executive, Berry Bros. and Rudd
Lalage Beaumont, Owner, Lalage Beaumont
Steve Murdoch, Head of Retail Operations, Crockett and Jones
Roger Thornton, Head of Property, Burlington Arcade
James Sleater, Director, Cad and The Dandy
Victoria Houghton, CEO, Hamilton and Inches
Natalie Lake, Managing Director, Really Wild Clothing
Pippa Anderson, Owner, Pippa Anderson
Joanna Wood, CEO, Joanna Wood
Tim Gosling, Director, Gosling
EmmaJane Knight, Founder, EmmaJane Knight
Adam Holdsworth, Owner and Creative Director, N. Peal
Joanne Milner, Chief Executive, Garrard
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive, Heart of London Business Alliance
Sheherazade Goldsmith, Co-founder and Designer, Loquet London
Peggy Porschen, Creative Director, Peggy Porschen Group
Simon MacLachlan, Owner & Director, Piccadilly Vaults
Kim L Winser, Founder & CEO, Winser London
Martin Nicholls, Managing Director, Norton & Sons
Susannah Lovis, Owner, Susannah Lovis Jewellers
Kevin Martel, Founder, Martel+Ram
Matthew Wildsmith, Owner, Wildsmith Jewellery
Marie Leblanc, CEO, Victoria Beckham
Kieran McCarthy, Joint Managing Director, Wartski
Taj Phull, Managing Director, Huntsman
Anda Rowland, Vice Chaiman, Anderson & Sheppard
Olivier Bonnefoy, Founder, Gentlemen’s Tonic
Anke Summerhill, Creative Director and Owner, Minotti London
Stephen Webster, Founder and Creative Director, Stephen Webster
Tobias Caesari, Senior Vice President, UK & Ireland, Planet
Claire Zambuni, Director & Founder, Zambuni
Sari Wildsmith, Founder, ambustum
William Skinner, Managing Director, Dege & Skinner
Carine de Koenigswarter, CEO, Swaine
Josephine Jenno, Founder, Casa By JJ
Adam Rogers, Owner, Adret
Susie Reid Thomas, Founder and Creative Director, Twilight Trees
Stuart Machin, CEO, Marks & Spencer
Dominic Sebag-Montefiore, Managing Director, Edward Sexton
Fiona Dreesmann, Founder, Fiona Finds
Paul Garrett, Managing Director, Fox Umbrellas
Shannon de Boissard, Founding Partner and CEO, Percy & Reed
Bernard Dreesmann, Chairman, Morley Stores Group
Caroline Andrew, Founder, Caroline Andrew
Stephen Murphy, Chairman, Authentic Bespoke Limited and Budd (Shirt Makers)
[ad_2]
Source link