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→United Kingdom: update on the protests and the efforts of others involved in the end tampon tax campaign in the uk. |
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There is a zero rate of VAT applying to women's sanitary products in the UK.<ref name="tampon-tax-abolished"/><ref name=":8"/> The United Kingdom had levied a [[value-added tax (United Kingdom)|value-added tax]] on sanitary products since it joined the [[European Economic Community]] in 1973. This rate was reduced to 5% specifically for sanitary products in 2000 with lobbying from [[Member of Parliament]] [[Dawn Primarolo]] saying that this reduction was "about fairness, and doing what we can to lower the cost of a necessity."<ref name="theweek: UK News"/> This is the lowest rate possible under the [[European Union]]'s [[European Union value added tax|value added tax law]], which {{as of|2016|lc=y}} does not allow a reduction to zero rates. The only goods that can be zero rated are those with historic zero rates that have been applied continually since before 1991.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reality Check: Does the EU control UK VAT rates?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36430504|work=BBC News|date=3 June 2016}}</ref> The [[UK Independence Party]] raised the issue in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] with promised to withdraw from the European Union and allow the zero rate. Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] commented, when prompted, that the tampon tax campaign was "long-standing" and a complicated issue within the European Union.<ref name="BBC: international"/> In England, one in ten women between 14 and 21 cannot afford menstrual management products.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://plan-uk.org/media-centre/plan-international-uks-research-on-period-poverty-and-stigma|title=Plan International UK's Research on Period Poverty and Stigma|date=December 20, 2017|website=Plan International UK|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/one-in-10-young-women-struggle-to-afford-pads-and-tampons-a8008671.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/one-in-10-young-women-struggle-to-afford-pads-and-tampons-a8008671.html |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Period Poverty: Why One in 10 Young Women Struggle to Afford Pads and Tampons|last=Rowlingson|first=Karen|date=October 21, 2017|website=The Independent|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref>
[[Laura Coryton]] led a "Stop taxing periods, period" campaign with an online petition to have the European Union remove the value-added tax for sanitary products.<ref name="Coryton"/> Her petition was highlighted by further protests in London led by Lucy Whitehill<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/946750428678123/?active_tab=discussion |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>, and a sister march in Bristol headed by the groups, No More Taboo and Period Watch<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/998921250121037/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>. The London March on April 2 garnered much support with 2,500 protesters, many wearing bloodied white pants, chanting outside Downing Street<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-07 |title=Cambridge grad marches on Downing Street to fight against the Tampon Tax |url=https://thetab.com/2015/04/07/cambridge-grad-marches-downing-street-fight-tampon-tax-34766 |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=The Tab |language=en-GB}}</ref>. The slogan resonated, 'Tampons not a necessity? Then welcome to the world where we don't wear them.' The protest hit the headlines<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Grazia |url=https://graziadaily.co.uk/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=Grazia |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Daisy |last2=Thomas |first2=Daisy Jones, Photos: Lily Rose |date=2015-04-03 |title=We Went to Yesterday’s Tampon Tax March in London |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nn9jvw/we-went-to-yesterdays-tampon-tax-march-on-downing-street |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref>, with [[Russell Howard]] focusing on the viral placard, 'The Taxman can suck my cl*t<ref>{{Citation |title=Why cutting tax credits and taxing tampons is bullshit {{!}} Why cutting tax credits and taxing tampons is bullshit {{!}} By Russell Howard {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/OfficialRussellHoward/videos/why-cutting-tax-credits-and-taxing-tampons-is-bullshit/10153159257103344/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |language=en}}</ref>', [[Ed Miliband|Ed Milliband]] called the tax ridiculous<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Flinders |first=Matthew |last2=Lowery |first2=Gary |date=2023-04-03 |title=Period politics and policy change: the taxation of menstrual products in the United Kingdom, 1996–2021 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13619462.2023.2184804 |journal=Contemporary British History |language=en |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=238–265 |doi=10.1080/13619462.2023.2184804 |issn=1361-9462}}</ref> and [[Caroline Criado Perez]] called for the tax to be abolished<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-28 |title=If I were Prime Minister: I'd introduce abortion on demand and abolish |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/if-i-were-prime-mininster-i-would-legislate-for-abortion-on-demand-and-abolish-vat-on-sanitary-products-10206740.html |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>. Following the protest the [[University of Sheffield]] were the first to cull the tax in their university shops<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-05-05 |title=The SU has scrapped tampon tax |url=https://thetab.com/uk/sheffield/2015/05/05/su-scrapped-tampon-tax-7196 |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=University of Sheffield |language=en-GB}}</ref>. In November 2015 Charlie Edge and Ruth Howarth free-bled in front of Parliament to further drive awareness <ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-11-10 |title=Does our period blood protest make you feel uncomfortable? That's the point |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/we-protested-outside-parliament-while-bleeding-without-tampons-because-a6728456.html |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |title=Women Protesting the UK's Tampon Tax by Free-Bleeding in Front of Parliament |url=https://people.com/health/women-protesting-the-uks-tampon-tax-by-free-bleeding-in-front-of-parliament/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson-edwards |first=Phoebe |date=2015-11-10 |title=Meet the woman who stood outside Parliament wearing white trousers |url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3310604/Two-women-free-bleed-outside-Houses-Parliament-wearing-white-trousers-protest-tampon-tax.html |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=Mail Online}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-11-09 |title=These women free-bled outside the Houses of Parliament to protest the tampon tax |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/news/a39564/these-women-free-bled-outside-the-houses-of-parliament-to-protest-the-tampon-tax/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-GB}}</ref>. [[George Osborne]] mentioned the petition by name in his 2015 [[Autumn Statement]] pledge to end the tampon tax at the European Union level. The petition platform's CEO cited the campaign as an example of successful [[clicktivism]],<ref name="Clicktivism"/> with over 320,000 signatures.<ref name="BBC: wiki"/><ref name="Ind_student"/> In March 2016, Parliament created legislation to eliminate the tampon VAT, following a budget amendment by opposition Labour MP [[Paula Sherriff]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|last=Collinson|first=Patrick|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/06/budget-2020-chancellor-plans-to-finally-end-tampon-tax|title=Budget 2020: chancellor plans to finally end tampon tax|date=2020-03-06|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-03-07|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name="BBC: wiki"/><ref name="Ind_Cameron"/> It was expected to go into effect by April 2018 but did not do so; several British women protested for it publicly while displaying blood stains from their periods.<ref name="WaPo: Garcia"/> On 3 October 2018, new EU VAT rules were put forward by the European Parliament which will allow EU countries to stop taxing sanitary products, but these will not come into effect until 2022.<ref>{{cite news|title=Germany scraps 'tampon tax,' as menstrual products not a 'luxury'|url=https://www.dw.com/en/tampon-tax-germany-menstruation/a-51154597|website=Deutsche Welle|date=7 November 2019|quote=Starting in 2022, the 5% threshold will be eliminated, and then all EU members could get rid of the tampon tax completely.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/01/18/eu-rules-forcing-britain-keep-tampon-tax-will-apply-years-brexit/|title=EU rules forcing Britain to keep tampon tax will apply for years after Brexit|last=Crisp|first=James|date=2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-09-28|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The [[Brexit|UK left the EU]] in January 2020, and following the end of the transition period (at the beginning of 2021) the tampon tax was abolished in the UK, meaning there is now a zero rate of VAT applying to women's sanitary products.<ref name="tampon-tax-abolished"/><ref name=":8"/> Research published by [[Tax Policy Associates]] in November 2022 suggested that savings resulting from the abolition of the tax had been retained by retailers, rather than passed onto women.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/10/uk-retailers-not-passing-on-tampon-tax-savings-to-women-report-says|title=UK retailers not passing on tampon tax savings to women, report says|date=2022-10-11|work=The Guardian|access-date=2022-10-11|language=en-GB}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, campaigners are attempting to get reusable [[period underwear]] zero rated for VAT purposes. The garments are subject to VAT despite reusable menstrual cups being zero rated.<ref>{{cite news|title=John Lewis and Waitrose join drive to make reusable period products cheaper|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/aug/26/john-lewis-waitrose-join-drive-make-reusable-period-products-cheaper|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Clea|last=Skopeliti|date=26 August 2023}}</ref>
====Scotland====
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