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Merlene writes to local press about new Flight Tax which will hit travellers to the Caribbean unfairly
November 3, 2009 12:00 PM
The Labour Government's new taxes on flights will mean that people travelling to the Caribbean will be paying much higher taxes than those travelling to the USA, including Hawaii which is twice as far from the UK.
Many in our community in Hammersmith and West London will find £75 per person Air Passenger Duty (APD) crippling especially if a whole family is travelling to attend a wedding or christening of distant relatives. We need to recognise Britain's history and the diverse heritage of our communities and have fair laws that do not penalise families based on arbitrary rules and boundaries.
The Liberal Democrats believe that this flight tax should be based on distance travelled and the carbon dioxide levels emitted instead. Furthermore, the Caribbean itself will suffer badly as they rely on tourism as a key source of revenue for the islands. The million visitors from the UK last year made a significant contribution to the Caribbean economy and a reduction in tourist arrivals will compound the economic damage already caused by recent natural disasters.
"I have come across many from Britain's Caribbean community who are angry with the injustice of this new tax. I am therefore joining my Lib Dem colleagues in Parliament in asking that the Government reconsiders their policy" said Merlene.
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