The Government is set to hand the power to impose a tourism levy to dozens of towns and cities across England.
Andy Burnham has long made clear that he supports the idea of giving more powers to regions that want them, including the ability to raise their own revenue from tourism.
Many of Labour’s mayors in the North and the Midlands have already said they would implement such a levy.
UK POLITICS
Will mayors’ tourist tax powers have ‘damaging’ effect?
Andy Burnham’s Government is setting out plans to give English mayors new powers to introduce a local tourist tax.
What you need to know
Tourist tax for mayors
- Plans for a tourist tax for English mayors follow similar schemes introduced in Scotland and Wales.
- Charges of a similar nature already exist across Europe, with the revenue used to fund local services.
- The levy will be charged to overnight visitors as a percentage of the cost of accommodation, rather than a flat fee.
- The levy would have – but the Government hopes mayors are unlikely to make it too costly.
- It is thought a tourist tax in London won’t be more than five per cent of the cost of accommodation.
- Local leaders would decide how to invest the money raised from the levy.
Damaging impact of tourism tax?
Tourism bodies have warned the tax will hit Britons on staycations who are struggling with the cost of living.
UK Hospitality claimed the levy introduced in Edinburgh was “already having damaging effects” and said thousands of jobs in the sector were at risk.
UK Hospitality wants Burnham to consider a “holiday bonus” instead, with revenues devolved to areas based on visitor numbers.
What the Tories say
Hugely limiting for the chances of young people who might be employed in tourism.
Conservative Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said Labour was trying to prop up “dodgy town hall finances on the back of even higher youth unemployment”.
A Labour Government source said it “will be up to local leaders and local voters to decide what is right for their area”.
Citing independent economic analysis by Oxford Economics, UKHospitality’s chief executive Allen Simpson, said: “The 33,000 people who could lose their jobs as a result of this tax, during an employment crisis, will be rightly furious.
Downing Street has insisted that the “overwhelming majority” of hospitality businesses will not be “directly affected”.
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Why Apple’s historic folding iPhone could be a gamble
A foldable iPhone is set to be launched with a UK starting price of £1,999.
What you need to know
The new iPhone Duo is set to cost , depending on storage.
Acts as an iPad
Marketed as both a the screen is 7.6 inches .
Big cost increase
It marks an eye-catching jump in starting price, with previous new iPhone models starting well under £1,000.
More detail on the specs
- The iPhone Duo has a folded display size of 5.4 inches.
- In its folded state, it is shorter and wider than a traditional iPhone.
- When unfolded, it is Apple’s thinnest-ever iPhone.
- The unfolded 7.6-inch screen, meanwhile, is just shy of the 7.9-inch display on the first iPad mini.
What do tech experts think?
The iPhone Duo is . Market intelligence firm IDC forecasts that Apple will sell 10 million units in the first year, generating £20bn.
Foldables make up less than five per cent of the smartphone market, but some experts think the iPhone Duo could spark a boom.
Why it could be a gamble
- Several of Apple’s rivals, like Samsung and Huawei, are ahead when it comes to foldable phones.
- However, John Ternus, Apple’s new chief executive, said the US tech giant was “redefining” the product.
- Ternus claimed rival foldables “feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together” while the Duo should offer the smooth feel of iPad.
- Still, regular iPhone users would need to adapt to the new style.
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The foldable risks becoming a premium-priced ornament in the portfolio, imparting badge value but not meaningful growth.
Dipanjan Chatterjee, principal analyst at Forrester Research, told the BBC that the iPhone Duo could flounder like the pricy Vision Pro headset, but may also become a hit like the iPhone adjacent Apple Watch.
What we know about Philippines ferry fire
At least five people are dead and dozens more were missing on Thursday after a fire broke out on a ferry in the Philippines.
The latest
86 people still missing
- The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members from Manlia to tourist resort Coron when it caught fire.
- Five people were killed and 86 passengers are still missing, said the Philippines’ coast guard. Some 43 people have been rescued so far.
- The 6.45pm local time on Wednesday (11.45am BST) and was still burning by 11am on Thursday but has since been put out.
Rescued after two hours at sea
Some passengers weren’t wearing life vests, said the coastguard. Rescue workers were seen throwing vests to those stranded in the water. One passenger told the BBC he floated for two hours before being rescued.
Families anxiously await news on loved ones, as search and rescue operations continue.
What caused the fire?
- The cause is still to be determined, but coastguard officials said a survivor reported hearing an explosion in the hold area.
- Sea accidents are common in the Philippines, a nation of 7,100 islands where ferries offer cheap transport and weather can be severe.
- But with 86 missing persons, this incident may end up being among the nation’s most severe.
How the King’s pointed letter ‘surprised’ Harry and Meghan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “surprised” by the release of a letter on behalf of King Charles this week clarifying their status as “akin to private citizen”, according to a spokesperson for the couple.
Here’s what we know.
No titles, little warning
- A top Buckingham Palace official sent the letter to military officials and Government departments on Monday.
- It stated that as non-working royals, the Sussexes will not use the titles of “His and Her Royal Highness”.
- The couple “were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance,” their spokesperson said.
- Their team was still seeking guidance when it was released, The i Paper understands.
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No chance for clarification
The Sussexes did not have enough time to clarify any points before the guidance was issued to the media, it is understood.
- The letter’s contents were reportedly shared with their team at 1:59pm.
- Team Sussex replied to Buckingham Palace at 2:19pm, seeking clarification on one or two points.
- The letter was revealed to the media at 3:06pm on Monday.
- Harry was in a meeting and could not be contacted until 3:09pm.
- Team Sussex received confirmation at 3:11pm that the letter had been sent to the media.
Why are the titles important?
The reference to the HRH title was seen as an attempt to slap the Sussexes down amid concerns that the couple may want to monetise their royal status, including via Meghan’s lifestyle products brand, As Ever.
The title was seen in a video Meghan posted accompanying a podcast last year.
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Watch more from The i Paper
Harry, a ‘private citizen’?
- The letter clarified that “in short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests”.
- But a friend of the couple previously told The i Paper that Harry, as the King’s son, could never be an entirely private citizen.
- “Some people will say, ‘But they’re private citizens.’ Nonsense. Utter nonsense. They are two of the most high-profile people in the world,” the friend added.
Not a quiet word in your ear, not a private memo; no, this was a formal, blunt statement of fact sent to Harry on his father’s orders. Ouch! There is to be no doubt: the King is not going to be bounced into accepting any change in the Sussexes’ status just because they have chosen to return to the UK.
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No ‘half in, half out’ option
Charles and Prince William are said to be worried that family members doing business deals alongside official duties for the state opens themselves up to the sort of abuse of position accusations facing the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
- This led to them clarifying that Harry and Meghan won’t be attending state functions or official engagements.
Who will fund the Sussexes’ security?
The couple returned to the country for what they called an extended period on 26 August, after quitting royal duties in 2020. Their children have reportedly been enrolled in English schools.
The row over who will pay for their security is ongoing, with the couple currently paying for it but lobbying the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) – which is set to meet this week – for taxpayer-funded police protection.
How hot drinks can raise cancer risk
Frequently consuming drinks at very high temperatures increases the risk of oesophageal cancer – cancer of the food pipe or gullet – UK research suggests.
A three times higher chance
The study, from Oxford Population Health at the University of Oxford, included nearly a million people and found those who drank “very hot” drinks had about a three times higher risk of oesophageal .
Hot liquid may damage the cell lining of the food pipe as it travels down to the stomach, which could increase the risk of cancer developing, though the overall risk is low.
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How hot is too hot?
The research, published in the , did not record the temperature of drinks. But the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified drinking beverages above 65°C as “probably carcinogenic”.
Drinking six or more hot beverages a day also increases the risk, data from 977,282 middle-aged men and women in this latest study shows.
A rare cancer
The researchers said that one or two in every 10 oesophageal cancers could be avoided if people stopped consuming hot drinks.
The cancer is rare, though, with only around 1 per cent of the UK population at risk of being diagnosed with this type of cancer.
- Other factors, such as smoking, pose a comparatively bigger risk for developing oesophageal cancer.
What to do
- Letting drinks cool down before drinking or adding cold milk can negate the risk, experts agreed.
- Researchers said the temperature at which coffee and tea is drunk in Western populations is estimated to be .
- “More research is needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to increased risk,” the researchers added.
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August was world’s joint hottest month on
August was the joint hottest month ever recorded, with global temperatures soaring 1.65C above pre-industrial times.
Scientists say it is another “warning siren” for climate change. Here’s what you need to know.
What you need to know
Record temps
August 2026 tied July 2023 for the planet’s hottest month on record, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Fossil fuels impact
Last month was 1.65°C above the average for the period 1850-1900, before humans burned fossil fuels at scale.
Warmer seas
Sea surface temperatures hit 21.07C, a joint high mark with March 2024.
The impact of record heat
Heatwaves in August continued a run of extreme heat that began in May, with severe drought hitting the UK, France, Hungary and Serbia. Major rivers from the Rhine to the Danube saw exceptionally low flows.
Under 2015’s Paris Agreement, countries agreed to limit global warming to “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels.
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What the scientists say
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at ECMWF, said the latest temperature data shows how “climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans”.
Gareth Redmond-King, of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said a “warning siren” was sounding two months before the COP 31 summit.
![CORRECTION / A beachgoer walks in Lake Lacanau, also called Etang de Lacanau (Lacanau Pond) from the beach of Moutchic in Lacanau, southwestern France on July 24, 2026, as clouds of smoke rise into the sky from a wildfire. The fire raging in the northern part of the Arcachon Basin in Gironde, southwest France, has swept through more than 3,400 hectares, according to the latest figures released by the prefecture. More than 20,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated from this part already devastated by flames in 2022. Scientists have long warned that climate change caused by human use of fossil fuels will make periods of drought more intense and longer-lasting, creating the ideal conditions for wildfires. (Photo by Maximilien LAMY / AFP via Getty Images) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Maximilien LAMY has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Lake Lacanau] instead of [the ocean]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require."](https://inews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SEI_306296016.jpg?w=1200&h=675&crop=1)
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How El Niño could impact UK weather
The United Nations says the world is in a “danger zone of extreme weather”, with warnings that aeroplane turbulence and food shortages could affect Britons.
The new illnesses pharmacists can treat under NHS scheme
Pharmacists will be able to treat people with migraines, acne and several other conditions as the NHS’ “Pharmacy First” scheme is expanded this autumn.
What you need to know
Pharmacy scheme
The NHS scheme allows people to receive care for common illnesses from pharmacists without seeing a GP.
New conditions
From autumn, people can get help for acne, migraines, scabies, certain ear infections and allergic rhinitis.
Expanded offering
It adds to the seven conditions pharmacies can already treat.
The changes in full
- Pharmacies can already treat seven conditions under the Pharmacy First scheme.
- They are impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis, earache, sore throat and .
- Once fully rolled out, the scheme’s expansion means pharmacies will now be able to treat 12 conditions.
What the NHS says
The NHS expects between two and three million consultations for the new list of five conditions that can be held in pharmacies. It is hoped this will take pressure off the NHS.
Dr Amanda Doyle of NHS England said people can get treatment “quickly and conveniently on local high streets”.
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Burnham’s thoughts
People are fed up with the scramble for routine appointments
The Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Treating people closer to home means catching problems earlier, easing pressure on GPs and A&E and giving people back precious time.”
Hospital waiting lists spike
It comes as the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has risen to its highest level for nine months. An estimated 7.33 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of July, relating to 6.21 million patients, according to NHS figures. The numbers are the highest since October 2025, when the list stood at 7.40 million treatments and 6.24 million patients.
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‘Penises and nuns’ – The Bayeux Tapestry’s curious history
The legendary woven record of the Norman Conquest has been unveiled to the public in the UK for the first time. As it goes on display at the British Museum, here’s what we know about its extraordinary history.
What you need to know
Back in Britain
The tapestry recording the Norman Conquest of 1066 is back in the UK for the .
Deal with France
It is as part of a special deal between the UK, France and the British Museum.
Medieval wonder
Considered one of the wonders of the medieval world, it offers insight into 11th-century England.
Watch more from The i Paper
Tapestry’s curious history
- It is believed to have been commissioned by the half-brother of William the Conqueror.
- The consensus now is that it was made not in France but by nuns near Canterbury.
- The soldier with the arrow through his eye might not be King Harold, but historians are uncertain.
- The may be random comic irrelevances or commentary on the story.
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How to get tickets
- The tapestry is on show at the British Museum from 10 September until 11 July 2027.
- Tickets are sold out until a release on 21 October, with details on the museum’s website.
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The policy has faced a backlash from the hospitality sector which claims it would increase the cost of holidays and city breaks and cause job losses.
Tourism levies are commonplace in much of Europe and research suggests there is little evidence that modest charges have much effect on visitor numbers.
Under Sir Keir Starmer’s government, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared apprehensive of bringing in what was billed as a new “tax” by critics.
But Burnham is now set to push ahead with the move, arguing it will raise much-needed cash for tourist hotspots to reinvest in infrastructure and services that will support both local people and visitors.
Here, The i Paper looks at which areas could use the levy, and why some will not.
Mayoral authorities will be the first to introduce a ‘tourist tax’
The powers will be introduced via the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill which is currently moving through Parliament.
It is expected that the first areas to make use of the “tourist tax” will be mayoral authorities, and it will not be implemented before 2028 at the earliest.
There are currently 14 mayors of strategic authorities, and those which have already declared support for the move include: Greater London, the West Midlands, Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire and the North East.
This would mean cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield and Newcastle could all introduce levies, although it is likely it would also extend beyond these places to the wider region.
The Government says the powers will also be available to places that don’t have a mayor, but do have a “foundation strategic authority” such as Lancashire.
It remains unclear what will happen to other areas, especially given this week’s announcement from Communities Secretary Angela Rayner that Labour will have to pause its plans for local government reorganisation because of potential legal challenges.
Cornwall, for example, has shown strong support for a tourism levy but is not currently part of a devolved authority.
During a visit this summer, Burnham said an overnight levy could be a “major game changer” for Cornwall and wanted to start discussions about it “sooner rather than later”.
Burnham has repeatedly stressed his belief in the need for more devolution in England and that he would like to see all areas have more powers held locally.
There are at least six areas – such as Cheshire and Warrington – which have agreed to set up a new mayoral authority but they won’t hold their first elections until next year.
How much will the tourism tax be?
There are broadly three ways to introduce a tourism tax: a flat rate such as £1 to £2 on all overnight visitors, a tiered flat rate that varies by accommodation type, or a percentage-based scheme.
The Government has said it will only permit mayors in England to use a percentage based scheme – this means tourists pay a higher amount when staying in an expensive hotel compared to a cheaper bed and breakfast, for example.
Ministers say this will shield “families from disproportionate costs for cheaper holidays.”
The i Paper understands mayors will not be given the option of using a flat fee. The move is likely to surprise experts who have generally recommended that English cities use a flat fee for a tourism levy.
According to research by the influential think-tank Centre for Cities, a £2-per-night levy could raise at least £216m per year across 62 cities analysed. However, it would be far more significant for the biggest tourist destinations.
A report published this week by York and North Yorkshire recommended a £1-per-night levy and said this would likely raise £26m per year based on current visitor numbers.
Edinburgh already has a tourism levy, set at 5 per cent of the accommodation cost, and is expected to raise up to £50m a year.
The city council says it will be spent on infrastructure, housing and events.
In Wales, a tourism levy due to begin in 2028 will be a tiered-flat rate system – set at £1.30 per person per night for standard accommodations and 75 pence per person per night for campsites and hostels – and will be administered centrally by the Welsh Government.
Experts say mayoral authorities in England will have to be careful which scheme they select to ensure it has the support of local businesses and communities.
In York, Mayor David Skaith told The i Paper he wants to ensure all accommodation types are treated fairly and covered by the levy, including shorter-term Airbnb lets.
What are English authorities saying?
The i Paper contacted all 14 mayoral authorities to ask if they are supportive of a tourism tax and, if so, how much they expect to charge visitors.
Tory mayors Ben Houchen in Tees Valley and Paul Bristow in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have said they do not support the policy and have no plans to introduce a tourism tax.
None of the Labour mayors who support a levy have yet committed to a specific charge – saying they will need to work this out following consultation with local businesses and communities.
However, it is understood mayors including Kim McGuinness in the North East and Sadiq Khan in Greater London have said it should not be more than 5 per cent of the cost of the accommodation.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I strongly welcome the Government giving London the power to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy. This needs to happen sooner rather than later.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: “By asking people to make a small contribution, like in many other European countries, we can continue to invest in culture, grow our economy and ensure people want to visit for generations to come.”
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “A Visitor Levy in South Yorkshire would simply bring us into line with many other comparable European cities, including our friends over in Manchester, meaning visitors to South Yorkshire will make a small contribution to the services they use.”