Campaign to close the tax loophole

We can celebrate further progress in my campaign to close the tax loophole used by thousands of second home owners to the detriment of families in housing need, legitimate holiday businesses, taxpayers and public services.

I launched the campaign in 2013 when I first exposed the tax loophole. But the Conservatives refused to close it. They were content to reward the wealthy who under-occupied their second homes with generous tax loopholes but penalise the poor with the unfair ‘bedroom tax’ if they believed they under-occupied their Council home.

Shamed by this injustice I note some Conservatives have finally admitted this unfairness and are now hastily claiming they wanted to close the loophole all along!

We can and should go further. By introducing new planning law to better regulate numbers and allow local authorities to levy higher taxes to reflect the impact of second homes.