Second homers get yet another (Christmas) present from the Conservatives!

 

Another very merry Christmas for those Second home owners, Air BnB and other property investors who use the business rate tax loophole to avoid paying any tax at all. The Conservative Chancellor announced the Government will hand out yet more taxpayers’ money in the form of Covid aid to them. This news was strangely not broadcast by the Conservatives or their media or local supporters.

As if second homers haven’t already been given enough taxpayers’ money, the Conservatives are to grant up to a further £40 million of Cornwall’s Covid aid to them! Anything between another £2,700 and £6,000 each! This is on top of the £18,000 already given to them since March last year.

Second homes should be taxed more to reflect their significant and detrimental impact on Cornwall’s housing emergency. It’s not enough to just close the Tax loophole.

We desperately need that money to address the extreme and serious housing problems and insecurities of tens of thousands of local families who are not so well off.

The Conservatives on Cornwall Council promised to use their “special influence” on the Government. After all, they’re all in the same Party, run the Government, have all six parliamentary seats and now run the Council. Well, here’s a chance for them to demonstrate this and to stop yet another scandalous misuse of public money. They can also demand that previous grants – amounting to more than £104 million of Cornwall’s Covid aid! – are clawed back.

I’ve highlighted this Tory tax loophole since it was introduced in 2012. I warned the Government not to go ahead with this misuse of Covid aid when they started to hand it out in March 2020.

Local Conservatives have finally been shamed into at least claiming they want to close the loophole. They’ve announced this 3 times in the last year. But nothing’s happened. Instead, second homers get the Chancellor’s Covid aid Christmas present.