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IMPACT: Sarah Teather (fourth from left) with Floella Benjamin and other tax protesters

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MP Sarah Teather alongside broadcaster Floella Benjamin handed in a petition to the HM Treasury against the passenger flight tax to the Caribbean last week.

The flight tax could see families of four paying over £600 on top of the money spent on tickets.

Under the proposed changes, passengers for Caribbean countries would be charged disproportionately more then passengers to the west coast of America, even though the distance is greater.

The air passenger duty will levy a tax based on a four-tiered system, which will group countries together in terms of location.

Teather told The Voice how astonished she was when she first heard the news.

“When I saw how the rules were going to change it just seemed to me to be completely bonkers. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.”

She added: “It’s obviously about protecting American business interests, as usual.”

The MP for Brent East urged others to get involved to prevent the flight tax from happening.

“We did an early hand-in of the petition about raising awareness and I’d really encourage Voice readers to go on to my website and sign the petition.”

Actress, presenter and businesswoman Benjamin, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, also commented on the changes.

“The proposed air passenger duty discriminates against every single member of the Caribbean community in Britain,” she said.

“It will hit families very hard indeed, to say nothing of its impact on the already hard-hit Caribbean tourism economy – a key source of revenue for most of the region.”

* The petition is at www.sarahteather.libdems.org.uk

Published: 02 November 2009
Issue: 1396

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