The tourist tax move has been branded ‘bonkers’ by Blackpool residents

Blackpool locals have rejected calls for a tourism tax to be introduced in the north west seaside town.

The debate regarding introducing a new tax kicked off earlier in the week, with hoteliers in Blackpool adamant that it would be wrong for the popular seaside town.

Local businesses labelled any attempt to introduce it into the resort as ‘bonkers’, and now residents have rejected the idea too.

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A tourism tax is a small, mandatory fee added to accommodation bills or charged to visitors entering popular destinations, which aims to help fund local services, infrastructure repairs, and sustainable tourism initiatives.

It comes as similar concerns were raised in Devon and Cornwall about the possibility of a tourism levy following in the footsteps of city areas with a mayor, such as Manchester and Liverpool.

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Lancashire would be able to introduce the tax too, because of the new status of the combined authority, which brought Blackpool into the debate.

Resident Chris Russell told Lancs Live: “I am mixed on this one – it could pay for lights, tourist information and all the free service as long as the council keep it to a small reasonable level. This tax in place in lots of places around world.”

Stuart Askin added: “They do it it’s rampant in other places.”

Paul Jackson said: “The amount of tourism in Blackpool has declined a great deal since the 70s when it was packed so do you honestly think them having to pay tax is going to help that? It’ll put anyone off coming – cheaper to go abroad as it is.”

Brendam Pawsn said: “It’s bonkers to bring tourist tax in anywhere, it will put people off.”

Peter Henson said of the tax: “It’s just pure greed.”

The Government is still in discussion about whether to introduce it into areas outside Liverpool and Manchester, with many business urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves not to do it.

Lancashire County Council formally launched the Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA) with Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council on February 5, 2025.

Lancashire County Council was asked abut the tourism tax and said: “The LCCA has not considered charges. We await the outcome of the government’s consultation.”

LK Bennett, founded back in the 90s, entered administration in January, with John Noon and Mark Firmin of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP appointed joint administrators.

Immediately following their appointment, the LK Bennett brand and related intellectual property were sold to US firm Gordon Brothers, which also owns Laura Ashley and Poundland.

However, LK Bennett’s nine stand-alone and 13 concession stores were not included in the deal, leaving them at risk of closing.

Its website explains: “The LK Bennett stores were not included in the transaction and continue to trade under the Administration.”

All LK Bennett stores set to close

LK Bennett has now revealed that all its remaining stores will close for good in four days.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday (April 21), the fashion retailer said: “Only 6 days remain before our stores close.

“Visit us exclusively in-store to enjoy up to 80% off across all collections. Once it’s gone, it’s gone — don’t miss your final chance to shop.”

There is also a countdown on the LK Bennett website, informing shoppers of how long they have before their local store shuts for good.

Full list of LK Bennett stores set to close

The full list of LK Bennett stores set to close on Sunday is:

Stand-alone stores

• Lower Guildhall Mall (Bluewater)
• Canary Wharf (London)
• Eastgate Square Shopping Centre (Chester)
• Duke of York Square (London)
• Harrogate
• Knightsbridge (London)
• New Bond Street (London)
• Richmond
• White City Westfield (London)

Concession stores

• Arnotts (Dublin)
• The Bentall Centre (Kingston upon Thames)
• Brown Thomas (Dublin)
• De Gruchy (Jersey)
• Hoopers (Tunbridge Wells)
• Hoopers (Wilmslow)
• Jarrold (Norwich)
• John Lewis (Edinburgh)
• John Lewis (High Wycombe)
• John Lewis – Oxford Street (London)
• John Lewis (Manchester)
• John Lewis (Oxford)
• John Lewis (Cheadle)

LK Bennett shuts down its website

The closure of all LK Bennett stores comes after the retailer shut down its website last week.

Online sales via the LK Bennett website continued following the administration announcement earlier this year, until last week.

The website has now been shut down with a message reading: “Website and phone order now closed- Shop in store for a limited time.”

Online orders already placed by customers will still be processed as normal, according to the website.

Customers can still access the website (at the time of writing), but only for information on topics like returns, size guides, and store locations.

There is now a big banner on the home page advertising the closing-down sale, which reads: “Final Days! Everything must go,” with up to 90%.

Is there an LK Bennet store closing near you? Let us know in the comments below.

The pair were reportedly kicked off their return flight and booted out of their hotel after the alleged incident on the Jet2 flight to Gran Canaria

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Jet2 has handed two passengers in their 50s lifetime bans following their shocking behaviour on board a flight to the Canary Islands.

The airline, which operates a strict zero-tolerance policy towards “appalling” conduct, took swift action against the pair after the incident unfolded.

The couple had been travelling from East Midlands Airport to Gran Canaria last Thursday when the incident happened, and were subsequently barred from their return flight and thrown out of their hotel.

The pair were caught engaging in lewd acts with one another shortly after take-off on the four-hour flight, leaving fellow passengers horrified.

Other travellers witnessed the brazen behaviour as the plane became airborne and wasted no time in alerting cabin crew, who at one point considered turning the aircraft back to East Midlands Airport.

Two passengers have since spoken to The Sun about their experience on board. Darren Street, 51, who was travelling with his wife Lisa, 47, inadvertently captured the couple’s inappropriate behaviour on video while filming during take-off.

He told the publication: “It was incredibly blatant, there was a lot of vigorous movement going on in his jogging bottoms.

“My wife and I were shocked and disgusted. We told a crew member, and they came over to speak to the couple. But, when confronted, the couple claimed they were praying because it was their first time on a plane.

“They must have thought it was the stewardess’s first day on earth. We all knew what they were doing.”, reports the Express.

He continued: “When we first told the crew, they said they were going to turn the plane around. Then we learned they would be banned from the hotel and their plane back instead.

“They said it was so serious they would have to deal with it straight away. It made the flight really awkward, it was right at the beginning of the four-hour flight and they would not stop staring at us.

“They didn’t say anything but they weren’t happy. We told the staff because there were kids on the plane.”

Jet2 responded with an official statement, saying: “These customers have been banned for life. As a family-friendly airline and holiday company, we take a zero-tolerance approach to appalling behaviour such as this.”

Sadiq Khan has warned the “omnishambles” of Peter Mandelson’s appointment has left Labour in danger of “being stonked” across London in the May elections.

In a stark warning to Sir Keir Starmer, the London mayor admitted Labour are having a tough time on the doorstep in the capital with Westminster scandal threatening the party’s foothold in London’s councils.

Describing the Mandelson crisis as “an omnishambles from start to finish”, Sir Sadiq said he was “really frustrated” that the scandal was making it harder to engage voters in the party’s local achievements.

“I’d rather be talking about that than be on the defensive talking about the omnishambles of the Mandelson saga,” he told the Financial Times.

“I’m afraid what will happen is that rather than saying to voters ‘listen, this is the difference that a Labour council, working with a Labour mayor and a Labour government, can make’, people may decide to punish the imperfections of the government.”

“We’re in danger of being stonked on May 7,” he said, adding the campaigning had been “some of the most difficult I can remember” in over 40 years.

The Labour Party is on course for its worst result in London in more than four decades at the upcoming local elections, with both the Greens and Reform set to eat into their vote.

A new MRP poll of the 32 London boroughs, conducted by YouGov for Sky News and Politico, shows Labour is on course to win the highest vote share in 15 councils – six fewer than in 2022.

The last time Labour won fewer than 15 London councils was in 1982, 44 years ago, when they won just 12.

The Green Party is expected to take the highest vote share across four councils, including Lewisham and Lambeth, while Reform is expected to take the highest share in three. Neither party has ever previously topped the poll on any council in London.

Labour sources told The Independent they are expecting a “bloodbath” in Islington, while Green Party sources said they were expecting to take Hackney.

Sir Sadiq warned the party over its strategy in chasing Reform voters, as the Green Party looks set to surge in London.

“I’m slightly nervous with this ‘hero voter’ strategy, this understandable obsession to chase the Reform voter,” he said. “This could lead to progressive voters feeling, wrongly, the Labour Party isn’t for them.”

However, the Labour mayor insisted that Sir Keir should not resign over the Mandelson crisis, pointing to his record on the world stage

Asked someone else should lead the party, Khan said: “No. What is the biggest decision I think the PM has had to make in the last six months? It was whether to be dragged into this war in Iran.”