Havering leader calls for tourist tax to support London councils

The Leader of Havering Council is calling for a tourist tax to help provide much-needed additional funding for London.

Councillor Ray Morgan, the Leader of Havering Council, said:

“Like many other cities such as Liverpool and Manchester, it is about time we take advantage of the visitors that stay in the Capital to support local councils. 

“I feel it is time that a visitor levy is brought in so that it provides an additional stream of much-needed funding to help support our boroughs. I know many of my colleagues across London are also supporting this. 

“Like in Liverpool and Manchester, a small fee per stay of say £2 can go a long way for us.

“Clearly, if this were to happen, we need to ensure that any money is fairly shared across the London boroughs. Havering, for example, has benefited from better transport connections such as the Elizabeth Line. 

“We have also seen an increase in hotels offering accommodation because of this and therefore more people staying in the borough.

“I also know the Mayor of London is considering this. I therefore urge City Hall to stop delaying and to bring this in as quickly as possible.”