Cheaper flights from regional airports?
Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a charge added to economy tickets for UK departures, amounting to £7 for domestic flights and £14 for short-haul trips, increasing for longer flights and premium cabins. Some argue that this is putting regional airports at a disadvantage.
“London will always be fine, but where UK APD is doing untold damage is to the regional UK airports,” said Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness. “We allocate capacity based on one metric only – that’s cost. [UK regional airports] are at an enormous disadvantage now versus their European competitors.”
Speaking at an aviation conference in November 2023, Labour’s shadow minister for aviation and maritime, Mike Kane, hinted at an adjustment to APD. “I am sure on the horizon we will look at how we allow our regional airports to compete in such an environment where they are disadvantaged at the moment,” he told delegates.
Better Wi-Fi (and cleaner loos) on the railways?
One of Labour’s major election pledges is to continue plans for the introduction of a new public body, Great British Railways, which will take charge of railway infrastructure and operations in the country. This concept appeared in a different guise under the premiership of Boris Johnson, when Grant Shapps was Transport Minister.
What the renationalisation of the railways looks like for passengers, according to Labour, is a more reliable timetable system based on Switzerland’s model of coordinating journeys across different modes of transport. They also promise a simpler ticket pricing structure, plus automatic compensation and digital season ticketing. On board, passengers are being told they will find better functioning power sockets, more reliable on-board Wi-Fi and – an election winner if you’ve ever seen one – cleaner toilets.
Labour has, however, stopped short of guaranteeing cheaper fares. Speaking at a press conference in April, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “I can’t today set out that we will lower fares. But we have said that we will simplify them, that we will make them more accessible, more transparent and more trustworthy for passengers.”
A clampdown on second homes and Airbnbs?
In a Parliamentary debate on May 23, 2023, Luke Pollard, a member of the shadow cabinet, said: “There are too many people in rural and coastal communities, such as those I represent in Plymouth, who are being turfed out of their homes and seeing those homes being flipped immediately into Airbnbs with astronomical rates.”
Pollard’s First Homes not Second Homes proposal calls for higher taxes on holiday lets and unused second homes, a licensing regime for second homes and a Community Infrastructure Levy (read: tourist tax) to support local businesses.
The Conservatives have also taken measures to manage the impact the accommodation platform has on local communities. Michael Gove announced in February this year that all second-home owners hoping to let their properties on Airbnb must get planning permission from this summer onwards, and Rishi Sunak has made sounds about penalising antisocial behaviour in Airbnb properties.