WOMEN IN THE United Kingdom will continue to pay a 5% VAT rate on tampons after a vote to push for its removal was defeated in the Commons.

The change was set to come in the form of an amendment to the Government’s Finance Bill that would have allowed for negotiations to be opened at a European level on the rate.

Currently, governments from across the EU are required to receive approval for changes to VAT – with today’s vote being an attempt to force a commitment from the government to bring the issue to the negotiating table in Brussels.

In Ireland, Budget 2016 set the rate of VAT on tampons at 0%.

How did the UK vote this bill down? 

Speculation had been growing in the build up to the vote that a move from Tory backbenchers to support the Bill, which was introduced by Labour MP Paula Sherriff, would be enough to see it passed.

Labour MP Paula Sherriff Lynne Cameron / PA Wire Lynne Cameron / PA Wire / PA Wire

In the end it was narrowly defeated by a margin of 18 votes – with 287 for and 305 against.

Strangely enough, despite defeat in a parliamentary vote, the issue of the tampon tax will still be advancing to a European level.

UK’s treasury minister David Gauke has said that there is cross-party support to abolish VAT on sanitary products and that he will raise the issue with the European commission.

Are people annoyed?

The short answer is yes.

Many groups have slammed the charge as sexist, with particular focus on the fact that the current rate imposed on them treats them as unessential luxury items – while other items like men’s razors are exempt as they are considered ‘essential’.

The 5% currently being imposed is the minimum allowed under the EU rules, something that has seen anti-EU members of the house come out in support of the Bill to highlight the influence Europe has on the UK’s domestic taxation policy.

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