Graham Stuart, the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, and Haltemprice and Howden MP, David Davis will meet with Chancellor George Osborne on Wednesday to challenge the Budget announcement that VAT will be imposed on static holiday caravans.
Immediately after the Budget Graham organised a roundtable between local MPs of all parties and representatives of the East Yorkshire caravan industry. He is coordinating a cross party campaign in Parliament to press for changes and has been in contact with Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservatives from across the country. He is drafting an Early Day Motion in Parliament to highlight the issue and is seeking a full Parliamentary debate to press home the reasons why the Government should think again.
Graham’s successful campaigns in the last Parliament included protecting community hospitals, defeating legislation on home education, stopping the incinerator at Saltend and saving the Beverley Pasture Masters. Since 2010 he has won the battle for lower Humber Bridge tolls and successfully persuaded the government to improve the A164 and build the Beverley Bypass.
Graham said, “You only change things by campaigning and campaigning hard. The Government needs to rethink this VAT imposition. Static caravans are built in the UK, the supply chain for the manufacturers is overwhelmingly in the UK and then the sales channels and eventual use of the products is all in the UK. Slashing sales by 30% won’t raise money for the Treasury, it will reduce it.
“We all know the difficulties faced by the Government turning round the mess and unemployment left behind by Labour. We know they have to raise money if they are to lower taxes elsewhere. But this VAT hike isn’t the way to go about it.
“This meeting with the Chancellor will allow us to make the case for East Yorkshire, ask for a rethink and try to find a way to safeguard the jobs and businesses on which so many of my constituents depend.”
