Tow-bar tax could help pull its weight

MANY are wondering how they are going to be affected by the measures that Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, is going to have to take to pay off some of the huge debts incurred as a result of Covid-19.

These are likely to be announced in the November Budget and his measures will inevitably be painful to practically all tax-payers. Doubtless many tax rates will be increased, and perhaps a few new impositions will be created to help pay the bills.

One such novel idea could be a tow-bar tax.

This could be imposed on all vehicles towing caravans, horse-boxes, trucks and the like, for they add to the wear and tear of the roads, and also, on occasions cause substantial traffic jams.

This was brought home to me on a recent trip to Devon as, with many others, I got stuck behind a car and caravan on a very narrow main road.

The driver had not mastered the technique of reversing and took the view that everybody in his way should move, including a large articulated sheep carrier!

As I sat waiting, the thought about a tow-bar tax developed, for it would be a fair tax in relation to benefit accrued. Caravan holidays are extremely popular this year due to

Covid, for social separation is more easily achieved, and as a generalisation, they are cheaper holiday.

In theory, such a tax, whilst helping to reduce the UK’s debt mountain, would not be too much of a burden.

Yes, there would of course be screams of protest from those affected, but Government does keep banging on about a fairer tax system, and this would be one way to achieving such a goal.

Towed vehicles, in addition to wear and tear on roads, also cause more pollution – and clean air is high on the agenda at the moment, with some local councils taking steps to ban polluting vehicles from town and city centres.

This country has huge debts to pay – this is just one idea that may pull its weight.

Russell Luckock is chairman of Birmingham pressings firm

AE Harris