Huge hike to EU eco-taxes on motorhomes will cripple Britains home holiday scene, Red Wall Tories warn

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PUNITIVE EU eco-taxes on motorhomes will cripple Britains home holiday scene and must be scrapped, new Red Wall Tories have warned.

New Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being urged to use the upcoming Budget to scrap a little-known Brussels law which hiked taxes by up to 700 per cent.

Britain’s caravanning scene could be under threat with a 700% hike in eco taxes (paulbox)
Richard Holden is campaigning to get rid of the huge hike

European Union rules – brought in last September – branded motorhomes as cars and slapped them with more charges if they were too polluting.

Previously Brits had to fork out just 260 for Vehicle Excise Duty on new motorhomes, but the taxes have now spiralled up to 2,135 if their emissions are too high.

The changes were EU regulations which would have been signed off by the former Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, and are designed to encourage Brits to buy cars with lower emissions instead.

Ahead of the budget MPs are demanding the Government change tack before it ruins the UKs stay-cation culture and destroys the motorhome industry.

55 MPs have clubbed together demanding Boris Johnson thinks again, or it could risk thousands of jobs.
Durham MP Richard Holden told HOAR: This EU Regulation is causing unnecessary and untold damage to Britains tourism and motorhome manufacturers.

Its time Britain broke free and put our domestic manufacturing and tourism sectors first. The Chancellor must take the first opportunity to ditch this EU regulation at earliest opportunity at this years budget.

And former Brexit Secretary David Davis, the Tory MP for Haltemprice and Howden in Yorkshire, said: One of the important advantages of Brexit is the ability to decide our own taxation rules.

The motorhomes tax, which is damaging both to the industry and many less well off holidaymakers, should be the first to go.

Sales have taken a huge hit as a result of the new taxes.

Treasury sources said they were aware the new tax was an “issue” and ministers were looking at it carefully.

Ministers defended the tax in the Commons last month but agreed to further discussions.

Treasury minister Simon Clarke said: I say we are clear that we need to incentivise the production of lower emission vehicles but nonetheless, we are sensitive to the concerns of the industry.

Northern MPs including Labours Emma Hardy and Karl Turner have also raised concerns about the disastrous impact it could have on their own areas.

New Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being urged to take action to ditch the tax

Mr Turner blasted ex-Chancellor George Osborne for the move and accused him of coming up with the policy on the back of a cigarette packet.
80 per cent of manufacturers are set to experience a drop in sales in the next year.

A Treasury spokesperson said: We want to incentivise drivers to make the greenest choices, which is why weve introduced a new, robust CO2 emissions test procedure.

“Motorhomes move into a different VED category as a result, but we recognise the concerns of the sector, and keep all taxes under review.