Plaid’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies and local AM Helen Mary Jones are backing Bingo players at Llanelli’s Argos Bingo club as they ask the Chancellor to take the last chance to scrap a tax hike from 15 to 20% on Bingo that may put the club’s future at risk.
Tomorrow (18/03), Myfanwy will join Bingo players from Llanelli as they present over 500 signed letters from local people in Llanelli to Treasury officials in Westminster. The letters, prepared by Myfanwy and Helen Mary, ask the chancellor to use the Spring Budget on March 24th, to scrap the tax hike.
Llanelli’s Bingo players plan to dress as daffodils and giant bingo balls and will protest against the tax hike in Parliament Square from 2.15 tomorrow afternoon. They plan to present the letters to the Treasury later in the afternoon.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Showing posts with label bingo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bingo. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary back Llanelli Bingo players in fight against unfair tax
Plaid’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies and local AM Helen Mary Jones are backing Bingo players at Llanelli’s Argos Bingo club as they ask the Chancellor to reconsider a tax hike on Bingo that may put the club’s future in jeopardy. Myfanwy visited Argos Bingo Club on Monday March 1st to hand over letters to the Chancellor for bingo players to sign and return to them.
Last Summer the Labour Government announced it would drastically increase taxes on Bingo while taxes on all other forms of gambling would remain the same. Llanelli’s Bingo players travelled down to Westminster to protest against this unfair treatment. Myfanwy and Plaid MPs met with the protesters and offered their support. In contrast to Llanelli’s Labour MP, who voted for the tax increase, Plaid MPs have consistently voted against this unfair tax.
Nonetheless, tax on bingo is still increasing from 15-20% and will severely effect clubs such as the Argos in Llanelli. The last chance for the Government to review the decision will be at the Spring Budget and so Myfanwy and Helen Mary want to be sure that the Chancellor understands the depth of opposition to the changes in Llanelli before he makes those decisions.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
Why should casinos in London still be taxed at the original rate and the future of our Bingo club be put at risk? I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax and that he will reconsider adding this additional burden to one of our landmark town-centre businesses”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “These have been very difficult times. Particularly during January, we were seeing very few of our usual customers. We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Copies of the letter have been left at the Argos Club and will be presented to Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of the Plaid Parliamentary Group, when he visits Llanelli next Monday (15th)
Last Summer the Labour Government announced it would drastically increase taxes on Bingo while taxes on all other forms of gambling would remain the same. Llanelli’s Bingo players travelled down to Westminster to protest against this unfair treatment. Myfanwy and Plaid MPs met with the protesters and offered their support. In contrast to Llanelli’s Labour MP, who voted for the tax increase, Plaid MPs have consistently voted against this unfair tax.
Nonetheless, tax on bingo is still increasing from 15-20% and will severely effect clubs such as the Argos in Llanelli. The last chance for the Government to review the decision will be at the Spring Budget and so Myfanwy and Helen Mary want to be sure that the Chancellor understands the depth of opposition to the changes in Llanelli before he makes those decisions.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
Why should casinos in London still be taxed at the original rate and the future of our Bingo club be put at risk? I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax and that he will reconsider adding this additional burden to one of our landmark town-centre businesses”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “These have been very difficult times. Particularly during January, we were seeing very few of our usual customers. We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Copies of the letter have been left at the Argos Club and will be presented to Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of the Plaid Parliamentary Group, when he visits Llanelli next Monday (15th)
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Myfanwy and Hywel Williams join Llanelli bingo protestors at Westminster
Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams MP and Plaid’s Westminster candidate in Llanelli Dr Myfanwy Davies, today joined forces with bingo players from Llanelli to campaign against unfair taxation on bingo.
The group from Llanelli lead by Nigel Griffiths traveled 330 miles to fight for their bingo club’s future by protesting in Dean’s Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Protestors wore Alistair Darling masks, carried several placards, some even circled the square aboard the ‘Bingo bus’, and even joined in a game of Bingo on the green to champion the cause.
Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams has previously warned that the decision to increase in the rate of duty from 15% to 22% could signal a decline for Bingo clubs.
A Plaid-backed SNP motion to reverse the decision was recently defeated by Labour MPs. Other forms of gambling such as casino or online poker remain taxed at 15%.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP said:
“The Government's treatment of the bingo sector is incredibly unfair. In the Budget, the Government announced that it had removed the VAT on participation fees for Bingo players, but at the same time has increased the rate of bingo duty from 22%. This makes no sense in practise.
“Tax fairness is essential during the recession and this taxation on licensed bingo halls is dangerous as it targets the heart of our communities, and in particular older women and those from lower income households. Bingo halls provide a safe and friendly environment for the whole community to meet and socialise.
“The protestors have championed this cause fantastically today. I hope that the Government will now see for itself that bingo clubs and their constituents are suffering under this burdensome tax.”
Dr Myfanwy Davies added:
“Bingo has been part of life in Llanelli for as long as I can remember and the last thing we need in the town centre is for the club in Market Street to have to close.
“This is a completely unfair and ridiculous tax on people’s enjoyment. Bingo is already taxed once and there is no justification for treating bingo differently from online poker or any other form of gambling.
“We’ve come today to show those MPs that voted for the tax hike will see that they cannot ignore the voice of their constituents.”
The group from Llanelli lead by Nigel Griffiths traveled 330 miles to fight for their bingo club’s future by protesting in Dean’s Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Protestors wore Alistair Darling masks, carried several placards, some even circled the square aboard the ‘Bingo bus’, and even joined in a game of Bingo on the green to champion the cause.
Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams has previously warned that the decision to increase in the rate of duty from 15% to 22% could signal a decline for Bingo clubs.
A Plaid-backed SNP motion to reverse the decision was recently defeated by Labour MPs. Other forms of gambling such as casino or online poker remain taxed at 15%.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP said:
“The Government's treatment of the bingo sector is incredibly unfair. In the Budget, the Government announced that it had removed the VAT on participation fees for Bingo players, but at the same time has increased the rate of bingo duty from 22%. This makes no sense in practise.
“Tax fairness is essential during the recession and this taxation on licensed bingo halls is dangerous as it targets the heart of our communities, and in particular older women and those from lower income households. Bingo halls provide a safe and friendly environment for the whole community to meet and socialise.
“The protestors have championed this cause fantastically today. I hope that the Government will now see for itself that bingo clubs and their constituents are suffering under this burdensome tax.”
Dr Myfanwy Davies added:
“Bingo has been part of life in Llanelli for as long as I can remember and the last thing we need in the town centre is for the club in Market Street to have to close.
“This is a completely unfair and ridiculous tax on people’s enjoyment. Bingo is already taxed once and there is no justification for treating bingo differently from online poker or any other form of gambling.
“We’ve come today to show those MPs that voted for the tax hike will see that they cannot ignore the voice of their constituents.”
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