'Labour will make seaside towns great again' vows Rachel Reeves

Labour’s shadow chancellor this week said that Labour’s package of reforming business rates, sewage overhaul and tourism boosts will help get coastal communities back on their feet.

She confirmed that Sir Keir Starmer’s party would make holiday home owners register before letting out seaside properties or face fines, promising to crack down on second home owners who leave properties empty while pretending to rent them out to holidaymakers.

Ms Reeves said that Labour would introduce a mandatory licencing scheme, like that which exists in Wales, where people will have to sign up and pay a fee to rent out their properties as part of measures to protect areas on the coast.

Speaking to The Sun in Filey, North Yorkshire, she said that she would be taking her children to Cornwall this year rather than holidaying abroad.

"I love our seaside towns,” she said.

"I have such happy memories of seaside holidays in Gower as a child - everyone has their own stories too.

"There are no better beaches in the world - and wherever you live, you're never far from one.

"I want to make sure they are thriving again."

New figures show that seaside towns such as Scarborough are lagging behind the rest of the region, with young people travelling to major cities to find work.

Some communities saw falls of employment of over 10 per cent, with jobs falling by almost 50,000 between 2011 and 2021.

Meanwhile England and Wales saw job numbers rise by 1.1 million.

Cleethorpes lost 2,700 jobs, according to Labour’s analysis, with the worst hit seaside towns lagging far behind the rest of the UK in terms of growth.