Lib Dems vote through the Caravan Tax that will cost Hull jobs

Hull North MP Diana Johnson today accused Lib Dem MPs of being instrumental in pushing VAT on static caravans through the Commons last night.

While 17 Conservative MPs rebelled against their own Government, 36 Lib Dems MPs - the majority of their 57 MPs - voted to back the Caravan Tax. Only one Lib Dem MP voted against it.

The measure went through with a Government majority of only 25.

Diana Johnson MP said: "David Davis, Graham Stuart, Andrew Percy and 14 of their Conservative colleagues deserve credit for joining Labour to get the Coalition majority for the Caravan Tax down to 25.

"Sadly, most of the 57 Lib Dem MPs voted for the Caravan Tax, with only one voting against. Lib Dems won this vote for the Government.

"It's shocking that Ministers remain fixated on the relatively trivial issue of how the VAT system treats different types of caravans and mobile homes, and seem oblivious to the damaging loss of jobs that the Caravan Tax will cause and the fact that the Treasury's own figures show that this tax will lose them revenue overall.

"This week's official figures showed 43.2 jobseekers chasing each job in Hull North the fourth highest in the UK. This shows how vital it is to stop the Caravan Tax destroying thousands more private sector jobs around Hull, where 90% of the UK caravan industry is located.

"The scale of job losses in local caravan firms, their suppliers and the wider holiday industry looks like being at least three times greater than the number under threat at BAE Systems in Brough.

"This is why we must continue campaigning cross-party to stop the Caravan Tax before it starts in October."