The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has announced that it pledges to abolish the 20% VAT rate on Listed Building (LB) repairs introduced in the 2012 Budget, and instead replace it with a rate of 5%.
Heritage Alliance writes:
The announcement was made by UKIP Heritage spokesman, William Cash, on 8th December 2014 in a news item on the UKIP website. William Cash Jr, the son of Conservative veteran, Bill Cash MP, was appointed as Heritage Spokesperson for UKIP in October 2014.
In a statement he said: ‘None of the parties, other than UKIP, are committed to abolishing the VAT rate pledge in their manifestos. Abolishing the 20% VAT rate is essential for maintaining Britain’s historic architectural heritage, which is the envy of the world. Many buildings, from castles to cottages are crumbling away whilst the Treasury unfairly rewards developers of new buildings with zero VAT rates’.
In the run-up to the General Election 2015, UKIP has also pledged a number of policy positions broadly affecting the heritage sector. These include plans to abolish DCMS, the introduction of a British Single Farm Payment, the scrapping of HS2, planning changes to the NPPF, and the relaxation of VAT for the redevelopment of brownfield sites.
‘Why I have accepted the role of heritage spokesperson’ – Blog
BBC news on UKIP heritage pledge
Telegraph on UKIP heritage pledge
