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Nigel Farage steps up UKIP Severn Bridge toll campaign | Nigel Farage steps up UKIP Severn Bridge toll campaign |
(about 1 hour later) | |
UKIP Leader Nigel Farage is stepping up his party's campaign to scrap the Severn Bridge tolls. | UKIP Leader Nigel Farage is stepping up his party's campaign to scrap the Severn Bridge tolls. |
Visiting Wales, he said the fees were hitting the Welsh economy and should dropped when the bridges go into public ownership in 2018. | |
Mr Farage said any revenue lost to the public purse could be offset by opting for a cheaper version of the planned £1bn M4 relief road around Newport. | |
The Welsh government has been asked to comment. | The Welsh government has been asked to comment. |
The UKIP leader was visiting Wales on Tuesday to boost his party's profile in the run-up to the 2016 Welsh assembly election, in which UKIP hopes to see its first AMs elected. | The UKIP leader was visiting Wales on Tuesday to boost his party's profile in the run-up to the 2016 Welsh assembly election, in which UKIP hopes to see its first AMs elected. |
The pledge to scrap the Severn Bridge tolls was previously made in UKIP's 2015 general election manifesto and also by the Liberal Democrats. | |
In his March budget, Chancellor George Osborne said VAT on the charges would be scrapped when the bridges return to public ownership. | In his March budget, Chancellor George Osborne said VAT on the charges would be scrapped when the bridges return to public ownership. |
Responsibility for the bridges lies with the UK government, although Labour has called for this to be devolved. | |
In July 2013, Welsh Labour's Finance Minister Jane Hutt told MPs that the tolls could be used to finance construction of the M4 relief road. | |
Meanwhile Mr Farage also announced that UKIP will mount its own campaign for a "no" vote in the forthcoming EU referendum. |