Helen Martin: Hooray for McVey on tourist tax!

Adam McVey should be applauded for trying to bring in a tourist tax

ANOTHER 'hooray' is for the Edinburgh city council leader, Adam McVey SNP, who is continuing to push for a tourism tax in the city.

SNP MSP Fiona Hyslop butted in, finger-wagging, saying there was no agreement with the Scottish Government and no “tourist business consultation”.

Adam McVey is doing what councillors and politicians should do ... listen to the public and citizens who elected them, pay council tax and live and work in the ward/constituency they represent.

City council leader in ‘Twitter spat’ with Fiona Hyslop over tourist tax

That’s the consultation that is necessary. We don’t care what multi-millionaires such as Richard Branson, or international hotel chains who profit from our location think.

Nor do we care what an MSP who represents somewhere in West Lothian thinks – even if she’s “in charge” of tourism and culture in the Cabinet.

Dozens of places charge a tourist tax – and Edinburgh deserves it just as much as Prague, Hamburg, Berlin, Budapest, Nice, Barcelona, Lisbon and other city hotspots.