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Sajid Javid invited to special performance of The Jungle

The Good Chance Theatre and the National Theatre have invited Home Secretary Sajid Javid to a special performance of The Jungle, a show on refugees based in Calais.

This offer comes after Javid was criticised for questioning whether people risking their lives to cross the English Channel were "genuine" refugees.


In a tweet, Good Chance Theatre said: “@SajidJavid We’d like to offer you & the @HomeOffice a special performance of @TheJungleUS to #startaconversation about why people seek asylum, worsening conditions in Calais causing people to risk their lives & to try to better understand the human beings behind the headlines.”

And the National Theatre’s official Twitter account endorsed the message, writing: “We’d be thrilled to support this performance. @TheJungleUS is such an important piece that brings to life the complex human stories behind asylum claims. #startaconversation.”

Javid and the Home Office are yet to respond to the invitation.

Javid, meanwhile, defended questioning the genuinity of migrants, saying: "I’m not afraid to say that I think there are some legitimate questions that need to be asked, why for instance are so many people to cross the Channel from France to the UK when France itself is a safe country?”

“The principle of the first safe country is well established and widely accepted in international law.”

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The capital recorded 89 m overnight stays in 2024

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London to introduce tourist levy that could raise £240 million a year

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Highlights

  • Government expected to give London powers to bring in a tourist levy on overnight stays.
  • GLA study says a £1 fee could raise £91m, a 5 per cent charge could generate £240m annually.
  • Research suggests London would not see a major fall in visitor numbers if levy introduced.
The mayor of London has welcomed reports that he will soon be allowed to introduce a tourist levy on overnight visitors, with new analysis outlining how a charge could work in the capital.
Early estimates suggest a London levy could raise as much as £240 m every year. The capital recorded 89 m overnight stays in 2024.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give Sadiq Khan and other English city leaders the power to impose such a levy through the upcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. London currently cannot set its own tourist tax, making England the only G7 nation where national government blocks local authorities from doing so.

A spokesperson for the mayor said City Hall supported the idea in principle, adding “The Mayor has been clear that a modest tourist levy, similar to other international cities, would boost our economy, deliver growth and help cement London’s reputation as a global tourism and business destination.”

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