Latest news with #minicabs
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Brits could be slapped with higher fares just to get to hospital under new ‘Taxi Tax'
BRITS could be slapped with higher fares just to get to hospital under a new 'Taxi Tax', campaigners warn. Campaigners say a 20 per cent VAT hike on minicabs would 'price many out of vital journeys' and cost the NHS tens of millions each year. CEO of Disability Rights UK Kamran Mallick said: 'For many disabled people, private hire vehicles are not a luxury, they are essential. "They provide a vital means of transport where public options are inaccessible or unreliable.' Polling for the Stop the Taxi Tax campaign found 53 per cent of disabled people or those with long-term health conditions used minicabs or ride-hailing apps to attend medical appointments in the past year. And Bolt data shows a 62 per cent jump in trips to Birmingham Children's Hospital since January 2023, with sharp rises in Nottingham and London too. A spokesperson for the Stop the Taxi Campaign, said: 'The NHS' own figures show how vital minicabs and PHVs are for helping patients access medical appointments. 'Increasing fares won't just make life harder for disabled and vulnerable people, it will put even more strain on stretched NHS budgets and potentially cost the health service tens of millions of pounds.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under growing pressure to block the charge, which follows a High Court ruling that could force operators to add VAT to every fare. Previously, most minicab drivers were classed as self-employed and didn't meet the £90,000 threshold for VAT - but the court ruled operators are the ones providing the service, meaning VAT could now apply across the board. Leading trade bodies - including the Federation of Small Businesses - warn the change could force 25,000 drivers off the road and hammer already-struggling high streets. The Treasury says it is still reviewing responses to its consultation. 1
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour bullied me into resigning: One of Britain's youngest councillors, 19, quits party after being branded a racist for calling for CCTV in minicabs
One of Britain's youngest councillors has claimed she was bullied into quitting the Labour Party after she was branded as a racist for calling for CCTV to be put in minicabs. Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, 19, claimed she had been subjected to bullying and anti-Semitic abuse as she announced her abrupt resignation from the group at Peterborough City Council. She alleged fellow Labour councillors had accused her of racism when she raised safety concerns of passengers using council-licensed cabs, as many of the drivers are Asian men. But she has point blank denied the accusations, saying it had nothing to do with ethnicity. Ms Blakemore-Creedon, whose mother is Jewish, was accused by one Labour supporter of being 'on the payroll' of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported The Telegraph. She will now sit on the council as an independent and says she and her family have been left disappointed by the fallout. Ms Blakemore-Creedon added: 'I'm so disappointed with all this because my morals have always been Labour. Labour is in my blood. My grandfather was a major supporter. But my entire family have been left really disappointed as well. 'When I argued for more safety measures in minicabs it led to a lot of ugly comments by people in the Labour group. I got messages from fellow Labour councillors accusing me of racism because lots of the cab drivers are Asian. 'But I wasn't targeting Asian drivers. I was talking about safeguarding for everyone, passengers and drivers.' Ms Blakemore-Creedon announced her resignation from Labour on Monday in a message on X. 'I feel as though I have sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group after raising serious concerns - concerns which, in my view, were not treated with the seriousness they deserved,' she said. 'Following this, I was deeply disturbed to find myself accused of racism, with suggestions that I and my family were "targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors". 'These accusations are completely unfounded and deeply hurtful. I have also raised a formal complaint regarding these matters, which has now been delayed twice, reportedly due to concerns about the political impact on the party, rather than a focus on justice or resolution.' She added that she no longer had any confidence to serve constituents as a Labour member, before later telling The Telegraph she is happy to trigger a by-election although 'lots of my ward residents' have said they will support her as an independent. Ms Blakemore-Creedon joined the Labour Party aged 14 before her historic election win last year at the age of 18, a week before she sat her A Levels. Her decision to walk away from the party comes days after she had taken to the social media platform to reveal the last 12 months had 'been one of the toughest, most eye-opening experiences of my life'. 'Being young in this space is hard,' she said on X last Friday. 'People question your ability before you even speak. They assume you're inexperienced, naïve, or just a token. Add to that being a young woman, and it gets harder. 'I've sat in rooms where I wasn't taken seriously, where I've been interrupted, talked over, or patronised. I've dealt with inappropriate comments, unwanted attention, and had my competence judged on appearance rather than action. 'There have been moments that left me shaken, angry, and wondering if I truly belonged. And yet I've stayed. I've held my ground. I've reminded myself again and again: you earned your place. 'I didn't come here to be liked. I came to fight for my community, to represent the people who put their trust in me, and to show other young women that you can step into spaces that weren't built for you and own them.' Leader of Peterborough city council and of the Labour group, Dennis Jones, told the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was 'disappointed' by Ms Blakemore-Creedon's decision to resign. 'Nevertheless, the Peterborough City Council Labour Group will continue to work hard to deliver for local residents as we always have,' he said.
