The tourist tax story must be quashed

The saga of Cornwall's 'tourist tax' rumbles on and it appears that the Council's attempts to quash the story are having little effect. The latest incidence is a speech by the Leader of Westminster Council (a Conservative) at the Local Government Association Conference.

According to the Conservative Home website:

"citing the example of Cornwall Council, which is investigating the possibility of a implementing Britain’s first tourist tax, Councillor Barrow said Westminster provided hundreds of services to the millions of visitors to central London for which it received no funding."

Cornwall Council's Leader Alec Robertson is at the LGA conference as am I. I don't know if he heard Cllr Barrow's speech (I missed it) but it must be apparent to him by now that the Council's attempts to quash the story are having little effect and this dangerous claim is continuing to do the rounds.

I have blogged before about the feelings of the tourist industry on the matter. They think that a tourist tax is deeply flawed. They are also unhappy about the way in which the subject was raised in the first place - a senior officer raised the subject with MPs despite the issue never having been discussed by councillors. Despite not being true, the rumour is already doing damage to our tourist industry according to those same industry bosses.

Cornwall Council has said that there is no policy in favour of a tourist tax. That is certainly true, but it appears to be a message that has not reached the likes of Cllr Barrow and, until it does, our biggest asset will continue to suffer.

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