Several constituents have contacted me regarding their concerns about the recent vote on the 'Tampon Tax'. This is a perfectly fair concern to have and I am happy to clarify the issue. 

I categorically did NOT vote against removing the VAT charged on sanitary products. In fact, I support the repeal of any such tax. The meaning of the vote this week has been, in my opinion intentionally, misrepresented by commentators. The reason I did not vote against removing the tax is simple: we weren't being asked to asked to.

To explain the meaning of the vote, I must give some detail about how VAT is charged:

VAT is a Europe-wide tax. As a member of the European Union, the UK cannot remove VAT unilaterally from any item. To ‘zero-rate’ items, the UK must obtain the consent of all 28 member states of the EU and of the European Commission.

Regrettably, therefore, the House of Commons does not have the power to repeal the VAT charged by itself: it is a change that must be agreed across Europe.

We were not, as is being reported, voting on whether to abolish VAT on sanitary products. The motion before MPs was asking the Prime Minister to make discussion of VAT on sanitary products a major plank of his ongoing renegotiation of the UK's membership of the European Union.

As the Government is negotiating the UK’s EU membership rules, it makes sense for the Government to fold this issue into discussions about powers which the Government are seeking to take back from EU control. The Minister undertook to work on this issue. With that commitment, I voted for the most realistic option, namely to support the Government’s commitment to seek to negotiate the consent from the 28 EU member states and the EU Commission.

The ridiculous tax on essential sanitary items is just one of the many reasons that we must take back power from the EU! I look forward to getting back these law making powers and repealing this ridiculous law!

Rebecca