Kate Garraway stepped in to clarify an awkward on-air moment on Good Morning Britain after a "rude gesture" was shown live.
A man was seen making the reverse peace sign while hosts Kate Garraway and Rob Rinder interviewed the Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Jane Meagher. Jane spoke live from the Scottish capital during Friday's (July 24) programme.
Kate momentarily interrupted the interview to address the controversial gesture, telling ITV viewers: "Just to say, Jane, you won't be aware because you were talking so elegantly to us with the gorgeous vision of Edinburgh behind."But somebody came past doing a rather rude gesture. So, if you're watching at home and you saw, that is no reflection on Jane or indeed Edinburgh."
Edinburgh's new tourist levy
Jane appeared live on the show to talk about Edinburgh's new tourist levy, which will see those staying in hotels, B&Bs, short-term lets, and other forms of tourist accommodation charged an additional 5% surcharge on the first five nights of their stay.
It comes as the city gears up to welcome hundreds of thousands of tourists for the Edinburgh festivals. Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Stirling councils have also voted to introduce their own charges, while several other local authorities are consulting on introducing a levy.
Sharing her thoughts in a statement, Jane previously said: "This is such an important moment for our city - and for our residents and visitors. It's the result of a huge amount of work over many, many years, and I am proud to be the first local authority in the UK to push ahead with a city-wide visitor levy scheme."We now have a unique opportunity to invest more in the things that make our city so special."We know that the city's popularity comes at a cost through the pressure it puts on our services and on the people who live and work here all year round. This small new contribution from overnight visitors will help improve the services and public spaces we all depend on, while better managing the effects of tourism and major events."
Opposition from hospitality sector
Allen Simpson, the Chief Executive of UKHospitality, also appeared on GMB this morning and firmly opposed the new tax.
"This is the family's pain. It's the Scottish families going to their own capital city. But for the average family taking a two-week break in Edinburgh, it's going to be £250. And of course, even if they do actually decide to still go to Edinburgh, a lot of them will go overseas," he said.
"That's money that they're not spending in a fish and chip shop at Edinburgh Castle with the other amazing local businesses in the city."The simple fact is that this is going to hit the hospitality sector at a time it can't afford it, and it's going to hit families at a time they can't either."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
