LABOUR in Cardiff Bay are planning something that will have profound consequences for people and businesses up and down Wales.

They’re putting in place a number of policies that will discourage tourism to Wales.

At the forefront of those policies is their tourism tax.

A tourism tax would be levied on people who come to stay overnight in a tourism facility in Wales.

It will even be levied on people who live in Wales who travel to other parts of Wales!

Introducing this tax would add tens of pounds onto a family’s holiday.

That would make Wales less competitive as a tourism destination.

One in seven jobs in Wales are reliant on the tourism and hospitality sector.

And Labour’s toxic tourism tax would risk local businesses.

And it would risk livelihoods.

At a time when the cost of living is so high, I cannot think of a worse idea than to place this burden on workers and businesses.

And the tourism industry cannot be any clearer. They do not want this charge to be introduced.

Labour say that the tourism tax will be used to pay for tourism facilities.

I’m here to tell you, there is absolutely no guarantee that this will happen.

Indeed, the Plaid Cymru leader, who is in an informal coalition with Labour, says the tourism tax will be used to pay for free school meals for every child in Wales.

Even if their parents earn millions of pounds.

Now, the tax itself will be decided upon by local authorities.

So, our very own Vale of Glamorgan Council will be deciding whether to implement the charge here.

Here in the Vale, there are a lot of people who make their living from tourism businesses.

They need support so they can go on thriving and paying good wages.

But the Labour led Council have only ruled out introducing the tourism tax in the Vale ‘for the moment.’

And while it is welcome that even Labour in the Vale can see that the Labour Government’s proposals are toxic and damaging, they haven’t gone far enough.

Businesses and workers in the Vale of Glamorgan need confidence that they won’t see this tourism tax implemented here.

And not just ‘for the moment.’

We need to be assured that this toxic tax is off the table for good.

When we’ve had inflation busting council tax rises and a cost-of-living crisis, the last thing we need is public bodies reaching into our pockets even more.

I will continue to oppose this policy in the Welsh Parliament.

Too often in Wales, people who have demonstrated sustainable and community minded entrepreneurship end up facing more obstacles.

Whether it’s policies like this that hurt their competitiveness.

Or Labour’s road building freeze, which means it’s harder to get their products to market.

And when business cannot thrive or grow, it is our communities that suffer.

Because the jobs dry up and so do the wages.

Say no to a Wales of betting shops, tanning salons, and tumbleweeds.

Say no to the tourism tax.