Labour mayors plot 5pc tax raid on hotels

France wants Britain to take migrants from across EU | How 9/11 changed aviation forever

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Friday, 11 September 2026 Issue No. 565

Good morning. Labour mayors are plotting a 5 per cent tourist tax despite businesses and Andy Burnham’s own backbenchers describing the policy as “anti-growth”. Hospitality bosses, already reeling from Labour attacks, are warning the raid would drive away tourists, result in job losses and cost the industry at least £1.6bn. Harry Brennan, our Consumer Affairs Editor, reports. Elsewhere, France wants to end the “one in, one out” migrant deal and replace it with a scheme in which Britain would take migrants from across the EU. Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor, has the story. Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. Don’t miss our Summer Sale. Act now to try four months of The Telegraph free. If you’re already a subscriber, make sure you’re logged in to read today’s stories.   In today’s edition How 9/11 changed aviation forever — ‘Burnham’s rewired state is less democratic’ — Plus, the unusual indicators of heart health

Summer Sale: Try four months free Get full access to this newsletter every day, plus our award-winning website and app. Be quick: this offer must end soon. Claim now   Labour mayors plot 5pc tax raid on hotels Harry Brennan Consumer Affairs Editor   Labour mayors up and down the country are preparing to seize on new powers to impose tourist taxes despite a growing backlash. All Labour authorities, including Lord Khan of Tooting, the Mayor of London, Andy Burnham ally Steve Rotheram in Liverpool and Kim McGuinness in the North East, are expected to introduce the new tax on overnight stays. Reform UK and Tory mayors said they would not impose the levy, warning that the Prime Minister would be unable to “tax his way to growth”. The policy has sparked a furious backlash from the hospitality industry, with business leaders saying it will lead to devastating job losses and damage local communities. They say they are unable to cope with extra costs, having already been hit with higher minimum wages and National Insurance contributions. It means much of the tourist tax will be passed on to consumers, including families on staycations and professionals on business trips. Trade group UKHospitality said families faced paying £198 more for a summer holiday and estimated the tax would cost the industry at least £1.6bn. Labour backbenchers also said the plans would damage the economy. Emma Lewell, the MP for South Shields, where higher taxes are planned, said: “I am really sad about this – it’s anti-growth and comes at the worst time for hospitality.” There is more pain to come, with Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, confirming The Telegraph’s report that the rate of tax will be uncapped, which could allow mayors to raise the levy without limits. She also confirmed that other combined authorities, without mayors, would be granted the new powers under Labour’s broader devolution push. This report is available only to subscribers. Continue reading ➤ Ben Marlow: Burnham’s tourist tax is a Judas kiss for hospitality ➤   France wants Britain to take migrants from across EU Charles Hymas Home Affairs Editor   Britain could take migrants from across Europe under French proposals to replace the “one in, one out” deal with an EU-wide version. Laurent Nuñez, the French interior minister, said he had personally told Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, that he wanted to end the existing scheme. He said France instead sought to replace the “bilateral” deal with a similar EU-wide “one in, one out” agreement where Britain would send back Channel migrants to Europe in return for taking legitimate asylum seekers from across the bloc. Negotiations are under way between Britain and France on whether to renew the deal, which is due to expire on Oct 1. While Britain wants it to be a permanent scheme to deter crossings, Nuñez says his country “should not have to carry it alone, and that it would be better to integrate it into an agreement between the EU and UK”. Whether Britain, France and the EU can find a resolution will have to be decided quickly given the looming deadline. For subscribers only ➤   Opinion Dominic Lawson It’s a poor reflection on Britain that no party would dare scrap the triple lock The current guarantees over the state pension are unsustainable. But the backlash against Theresa May’s pledge to fix this was instructive Continue reading ➤     Alastair Sooke I watched with pride as the Bayeux Tapestry brought out the best in the British public Continue reading ➤     Andrew Orlowski Don’t fret about the AI apocalypse, Andy Burnham’s hired a consultant Continue reading ➤     To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. In other news • Hamas has praised Ed Miliband’s sanctions on Israel. The terrorist group said his use of the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the actions of settlers in the West Bank was a “step in the right direction”. • Britain’s economy grew unexpectedly in July in a boost for the Chancellor ahead of the Budget. Britain’s gross domestic product expanded by 0.4 per cent during the month, according to the Office for National Statistics. • Labour’s mansion tax is at risk of being delayed because of a row with civil servants over working from home. Whitehall bosses are said to be concerned about “productivity, quality and delivery timescales”. • Anthropic has said it foiled attempts by scientists to use its AI software to produce potential biological weapons. • Finally, Tatler has reimagined the Bayeux Tapestry. It depicts the country’s aristocracy, as well as a few famous British faces, including Benedict Cumberbatch.   Your essential reads New York honoured the memory of 9/11 by recreating the Twin Towers using 2,977 light-up drones, one for every victim How 9/11 changed aviation forever Today, families and friends of the victims of 9/11 will remember their loved ones 25 years since the attacks that changed the world forever, writes Simon Calder. On that day, Robert Burgess piloted a 747 from London to Washington DC. He diverted to the small Canadian town of Gander, where his passengers and crew remained for days. “No checklist can tell you how to deal with this,” he told me. Tim Jeans, a former airline boss, said: “The innocence and fun went from the world that day, and we all live with the consequences.” Continue reading ➤ The seeds of the next 9/11 are being sown in West Africa ➤ Plus, scroll down to see how this newspaper covered the attack...   Karen O’Malley with her newborn grandchild, whom she helped deliver ‘I was given six months to live a decade ago – I’m proof assisted dying is wrong’ Eleven years ago, Karen O’Malley was preparing for her own death, writes Cameron Henderson. Told she had six to nine months to live after being diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer, the former NHS nurse secretly planned her funeral and considered suicide. Today, she is cancer-free and fears her experience exposes a danger at the heart of assisted dying: patients facing a devastating prognosis may make irreversible decisions while at their most vulnerable. Continue reading ➤ Two-thirds of public think assisted dying bill should be paused ahead of Commons vote ➤   John Lewis turnaround cracks under cost of living reality Almost two years to the day since Jason Tarry, the John Lewis chairman, took the reins at the retailer, a gloomy set of first-half numbers published yesterday were a reality check. While Tarry’s appointment was meant to signal a return to retail basics that would help to revive the fortunes of the struggling group, yesterday’s results show the turnaround he was brought in to deliver remains stubbornly unfulfilled. Continue reading ➤   Craig Revel Horwood interview: ‘Strictly will be really different. Get over it’ Strictly Come Dancing returns later this month. It’s the BBC’s flagship show – there are people who say they pay their licence fee for this and almost nothing else. This year, we have a brand new trio of presenters replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Will fans like the changes? Craig Revel Horwood told me how the new Strictly will look. Continue reading ➤   ‘Burnham’s rewired state is less democratic’ Andy Burnham has consolidated power since entering No 10, writes Helen MacNamara, The Telegraph’s new columnist. The paradox of the “King of the North” is that he claims to be determined to give it away. Local leaders are “better equipped to link public opinion and civil society”, asserts his white paper on “rewiring the state”, but democracy depends on attribution. Who should we credit when a policy works, and who should we blame when things go wrong? Continue reading ➤   Seize the day What your waistline, handshake and postcode reveal about your heart health BMI has long been treated as a shorthand for good health, but it can obscure more than it reveals. Here, experts explain the overlooked clues to cardiovascular health, from abdominal fat and grip strength to pain in the legs or jaw, and why some apparently alarming symptoms may have nothing to do with your heart. Continue reading ➤ Here is another article that I hope you’ll find helpful this morning: From herbal teas to warm milk, we asked the experts which “sleepy drinks” actually work. This was their verdict.   As Anita sees it Bafta-bashing Jeremy Clarkson accepts the Reality Docuseries Award for Clarkson’s Farm at the National Television Awards Anita Singh Arts and Entertainment Editor   You can always rely on Jeremy Clarkson for a bit of straight-talking. This week he celebrated a win for Clarkson’s Farm at the National Television Awards, where it was voted best docuseries. “Never, ever win a Bafta,” he said at the ceremony. “If you win a Bafta, it means you’ve made a s--- programme. If you win an NTA, the people like you.” Bafta, you see, has never given an award to Clarkson, for his farming show or – incredibly – for all those years of Top Gear. The awards are judged by tastemakers in the industry, whose taste can be terribly pretentious and sometimes wilfully obtuse. The NTAs, by contrast, are chosen by the public, who know an entertaining show when they see one (except in the case of Mrs Brown’s Boys, which should be buried in the Earth’s core but instead beat Amandaland to best comedy). The ceremony, televised on ITV, is also a hoot in comparison to the BBC’s Bafta borefest. Alan Carr’s special recognition award was announced via Amanda Holden serenading him with a rendition of I Know Him So Well from Chess, backed by Paloma Faith in an open coffin and a tuneless David Olusoga looking as if he was in one of those nightmares where you find yourself naked on stage. The funniest five minutes of TV you’ll see this year. For what to watch and read, and one thing to avoid, read on... Television Fauda ★★★★★ Netflix’s global hit about an undercover Israeli military unit ranks as one of the streaming service’s all-time greats. Back for a fifth series, it’s as nailbiting as ever. Two episodes confront the events of October 7 and are not for the faint-hearted; they have been designed as standalone chapters, meaning viewers who don’t feel able to watch can skip them without missing any of the main plot. Avi Issacharoff, the show’s creator, told The Telegraph that its viewership includes officials from Hamas. Read our interview with the show’s creator ➤ Book The Great Dictator – A Life of Barbara Cartland ★★★★☆ Matthew Sweet’s biography could have treated its subject as a figure of fun – the lashings of pink chiffon, those enormous eyelashes coated in Meltonian shoe polish – but instead he salutes the industry and achievements of this eccentric but phenomenally successful romantic novelist who achieved a staggering 750 million sales. Read the full review ➤ Film Practical Magic 2 ★★☆☆☆ Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock have reunited for a sequel to their 1998 comic fantasy about two witchy sisters trying to overcome an ancient curse. The action this time takes our leading ladies to a quaint English village, but our critic Tim Robey says the film is in dire need of some real magic. Read the full review ➤   Your say Breakfast of champions Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes... Do you swear by a bowl of porridge in the morning? I know it’s wholesome and sustaining and all that, but I have always struggled to overcome a fairly important obstacle – that I find it pretty dull.   More fool me, it appears. In a recent series of letters, readers have been explaining how they turbo-charge their oats. I was particularly struck by this suggestion from Alan Belk: “Various healthy toppings may be added, such as nuts and seeds, but my favourite is a few glugs of Irish cream liqueur. It makes the mornings so much more worthwhile.”   I can believe it. Fear not, though: if you prefer to be entirely sober at 8am, there are other options. Janice Clay wrote: “I like my porridge with a few blueberries, raspberries, apricots and half a banana, a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and a generous splash of full milk. I continued with this routine even through the recent heatwaves. I’m in my eighties and in pretty good shape.”   John Hayter recalled: “At the end of the war, when rationing was in full swing and I was a tiny tot, my mother always gave me porridge for breakfast. To ensure that I was getting plenty of nourishment, it was topped with a spoonful of halibut oil, which was delicious. I’m not sure if it did me any good, but I do know that I was a very strong swimmer at an early age.”   Philippa Allen-Simpson, meanwhile, advised: “Try adding garam masala. Delicious.” I concede I’m warming to the idea. How do you perk up your porridge? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter. Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name.   On this day 1789 | Alexander Hamilton takes office as the first secretary of the US treasury 1942 | Enid Blyton publishes Five on a Treasure Island, the first of her Famous Five novels 2001 | Two planes, hijacked by terrorists, crash into the Twin Towers in New York (see our front page from the following day) Birthdays: Richard Ashcroft (55), Moby (61), Craig Cash (66) Plus, in the news this week, the “revenge dress” worn by Diana, the late Princess of Wales, is up for auction and, according to Caroline Leaper, our Deputy Fashion Director, it’s grossly undervalued. What is the starting price? 1. £80,000 2. £140,000 3. £190,000 4. £220,000 Click one of the options to reveal the answer...   Puzzles Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.   Yesterday’s Panagram was GALLIVANT. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle.   Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor Summer Sale: Try four months free Get full access to this newsletter every day, plus our award-winning website and app. Be quick: this offer must end soon. Claim now

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