Taxing a motorhome same as a Rolls Royce! Brexiteer MP pushed to scrap insane EU tax – Daily Express

The North West Durham MP said one of his first actions after becoming elected was to ensure an upcoming EU directive on motorhome taxation would not apply to the UK. Mr Holden said the tax would have left some businesses "crippled" over having to pay tax on motorhomes as high as on a new Rolls Royce. The Conservative MP said he was spurred into action by Britain's upcoming departure from the EU at the time, insisting the UK should not have had to keep the diktat despite Brexit.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Holden said: "Within a few days of being elected, I found out that an EU directive was being put in which was going to see a 705 percent increase on tax on a motorhome.

|Basically, taxing the same a 40,000 motorhome, which some might buy as they're approaching retirement, as a new Rolls Royce every year.

"This was going to cripple local businesses, particularly 500 people in my constituency.

|So I thought, this is crazy, we're leaving the EU, and so why aren't we pursuing this?"

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He continued: "So one of the things I did was really push the Treasury, saying we've got to reverse this.

"This was going to have a direct effect on my constituency but also, it's not green to have people flying off when they can do 1,000 miles a year just having a bit of a motorhome holiday here in the UK."

Under the new EU directive, motorhomes would have been moved out of the commercial vehicle tax band to instead be taxed as normal cars.

The change was being influenced by Brussels' push towards greener policies, which included a review of emission regulations seeking to get drivers to opt for cleaner and more efficient engines.

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However, motorhome owners argued against the introduction of the new directive in the UK, noting motorhomes are normally used for short breaks or holidays thus consuming less than cars and should not be taxed the same.

Owners would have been facing hefty bills for owning a motorhome, estimated at 2,125 in the first year of ownership, dropping to 465 a year between years two and six - compounded by an additional 320 annual premium tax and then again dropping to 145.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed the directive would be scrapped in March 2020, two months after the UK effectively left the European Union.

The National Caravan Council (NCC) hailed the decision as a significant victory for motorhome owners and thanked all MPs contributing to the decision.

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NCC Director-General John Lally said: "We have had extraordinary support from parliamentarians too many to mention them all but in particular Richard Holden MP, Sir David Amess MP, Emma Hardy MP, Karl Turner MP and David Davis MP.

"Rishi Sunak MP prior to becoming Chancellor had also indicated support.

Alongside the NCC, its members, and the wider industry, these MPs worked tirelessly to reverse this increase, knowing the impact it would have on British manufacturing, on jobs, and, potentially, on UK tourism.

"We offer our thanks to all of them and to the media, who highlighted how unfair the tax was.

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Taxing a motorhome same as a Rolls Royce! Brexiteer MP pushed to scrap insane EU tax - Daily Express