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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 25/11/2025

NEW: Plans are underway for a tourist levy to supercharge London's economy. It could raise *millions* to fund major improvements in our city. London is the greatest city in the world, but there’s always more to do! A tourist levy would make it an even better place to live and visit for everyone.

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paulusthewoodgnome @paulusthewoodgnome.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

UK Hospitality's disingenuous reaction to a charge that has been almost universally adopted by tourist destinations across Europe, without any negative consequences, has been absurd. I doubt that it will deter a single tourist who wants to experience London and can't do so by going anywhere else.

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18thcenturyboy.bsky.social @18thcenturyboy.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

This - on top of the very welcoming image which the UK with its shedloads of Nazis and anti-forriner/racist Nazi-cosplayers (> 50% of the electorate according to the polls) projects - should see overseas visits to an already very expensive destination tank nicely. Labour really aren´t very bright.

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Davenant 📸 @marcdavenant.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

That’s great news but it would be even better if you replied to this open letter about the Adelphi tent encampment which I sent to you yesterday. It’s an urgent issue and you did promise to take action on homelessness in London. This is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate your commitment on this.

A plea for a meaningful intervention - Adelphi tent encampment London
Dear Paula, Bob and Matthew
I wanted to thank you again for facilitating the display of my Outsiders exhibition on homelessness inside Parliament last year. Th
touring exhibition has now had over 120,000 visitors and continues to tour. Matthew I really valued our conversation about
homelessness in the exhibition space - it was clear to me then that you really understood the issues and were determined to do
something meaningful to address the problems.
Dear Adam and Sadiq
You don't know me, but I am a documentary photographer who works with marginalised communities and uses photography to h
social inequality. You can see something about the Outsiders project on homelessness and substandard housing here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnOdqk4req00
Dear All
Five of the participants in Outsiders have now died while experiencing homelessness. Since I stopped the photography in 2022 tr
situation has become exponentially worse both in London and in the other cities which I covered during the project.
One of the most noticeable changes has been the development of tent encampments and I am writing to all of you about the
encampment which is currently behind the Adelphi in London. I believe plans are being drawn up to get an injunction to clear the
encampment without any meaningrut Intervention to address the problems tacea by the community there.
It seems to me that it is an extraordinary situation that in the wealthiest borough, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, t
people are struggling to survive against all the odds and not receiving the support needed to transition them out of homelessnes:
help them become productive members of society. As a society we are defined by how we treat the poor. Regardless of the legal
position I believe that we all have a moral and ethical responsibility towards those who have fallen through the gaps and ended u
experiencing homelessness.
The people in this encampment are vulnerable and marginalised. The women have all been sexually assaulted or subjected to vic
while sleeping rough in London. They rely on the men in the encampment for their safety and if the camp is simply cleared, they v
up back on the street with no safety net, likely being subjected to ongoing sexual abuse and exploitation.
People in the camp have both mental and physical health needs which need to be addressed. One has diabetes, has open sores
legs and is likely to suffer amputations, blindness and possibly death via diabetic coma unless this is addressed. There are ment
nean ana suostance abuse cnauences as wel. However overa nis s a close kni communit wien nas cecome pondea toee
the power of a shared experience. Disbanding the camp with no plans for transitioning the occupants into a stable home would k
and irresponsible.
The people in the camp also rely on their dogs to provide emotional support. One of the worst things about sleeping rough is bein
ignored and treated like something less than human. Having something to love and which will love you back unconditionally can
difference between life and death for someone in their situation. All of them have been told they will have to give up their dogs to
support. I pelleve that to de an Innumane ana unreasonable position to take.
There is a desperate need for a multidisciplinary intervention with this camp. If you bulldoze it you will break the bonds within the
community and simply move the problem somewhere else. It isn't a solution to what has become a huge problem for society anc
test for your humanity as the people with the power to change things.
Collectively you control billions in spending, control the public policy on homelessness and housing and do have the power to in
ana ensure a positive outcome for the people In this camp. I nave attacnea some portralts taken yesterday ana woula urge you to
them and consider how you would feel if they were members of your family who had fallen on hard times. I know that with a swee
pen you can simply have them moved on but would ask you to consider whether there is a different approach and who gains fron
sweeping these problems under the carpet.
Experience has taught me to have very low expectations when it comes to asking for support like this in a society which knows th
of everything and the value of little, but I believe that you are all good people who came into public service with the best of intenti
and hope vou can find it in vour hearts to help.
Thank you all for reading this and I hope something can be done.
Best
Marc Davenant

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CTrev @ctrev3than.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

it is already outrageously expensive and soon londoners will be paying it too i am sure

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InezSneks 🙄🙄 @inezsneks2024.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

There are already many "taxes" when you visit the UK and London in particular.

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James Mitchell @sydenhamjames.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

A tourist tax is ok by me for visitors to London - but should be for tourists only. London residents shouldn’t pay; nor should those staying on business. Could also argue that tourists from the rest of the UK shouldn’t pay it.

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nigelnj.bsky.social @nigelnj.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

London is wonderful. It was wonderful 50 years ago when I lived there for a couple of years. It’s wonderful now. But it is *really* expensive. I don’t understand how ordinary people can afford to live there. This ordinary person can’t afford to visit (even when my cousin puts me up).

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Son Of Dave @sonofdaveblues.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Nationalize the grossly overpriced Heathrow Express. There's your money.

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Son Of Dave @sonofdaveblues.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

No. Most visitors have mixed view of London. All think it is outrageously expensive. This adds to that negative image. Same amount of money could be retrieved by repossessing one sadist's Mayfair home.

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 25/11/2025

I welcome the Government's commitment to push forward with these plans, which I've lobbied for for more than a year. This would be a major victory for Londoners.

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lostinpompeii.bsky.social @lostinpompeii.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

London is already outrageously expensive.

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Mr Blogberry @mr-blogberry.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Now start taxing Airbnb properly... they're all paying Council Tax in London when they should be paying Business Rates... councils are missing out on hundreds of millions.

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