Government will waive tax collected on charity single in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox, Chancellor confirms

MINISTERS agreed to waive VAT on the tribute record to murdered MP Jo Cox after a campaign for the cash to go to good causes.

Chancellor Philip Hammond made the announcement after stars and MPs joined forces with The Sun to plead for the money to go to Jo’s charity.

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Tax on the Christmas cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want will now be donated to the Jo Cox foundation by the Government.

Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson, KT Tunstall, David Gray and Cockney Rebel’s Steve Harley all appear on the record.

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During a Treasury Select Committee meeting Mr Hammond was asked by Jo’s friend – fellow Labour MP Rachel Reeves - if he would consider waiving VAT on the single.

He told MPs: “The Government fully supports the efforts of parliamentary colleagues and others to raise funds for the Jo Cox foundation.

“The Government doesn’t have it in its power to waive VAT because of EU rules but what I can do and I will do is announce the Government will donate to the Foundation an equivalent amount to the VAT paid on the sales of the forthcoming single You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

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The special recording is due out on Friday, also features cross party MPs and musicians plus the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus.

Cash raised from the single will go to the Jo Cox Foundation which supports a range of charities, including the Royal Voluntary Service and White Helmets.

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Mr Hammond added: “Jo Cox dedicated so much of her life to helping people less fortunate than herself and the charity named in her honour is carrying on that excellent work.

“It is only right that we do what we can to support that work and I am pleased to confirm that every single penny of sales from this single will go towards the good causes the Jo Cox Foundation supports.”
The single is the bookies’ favourite to be Christmas No1.