Mobile roaming fees may return in event of no-deal Brexit, documents reveal

Mobile roaming, visa costs and the hit to the pound could all be affected Labour says, with just over 50 days until Brexit.

British holidaymakers in Europe could see mobile roaming charges return in the event of a no-deal Brexit, government documents suggest.

Since 2017, networks have been banned from charging customers additional fees to use the minutes, texts and most data on their pre-agreed contracts.

But a draft document tabled as part of no-deal preparations indicate that such surcharges could return beyond 29 March – as fee-free roaming would become a “commercial decision” for operators.

Labour has warned that the return of roaming charges would contribute to a “triple-whammy tourist tax” linked to Brexit.

Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson claimed the government had “caved” to the “lobbying might of telecoms companies” instead of listening to consumers.

Consumer groups lobbied hard for a new scheme to maintain current arrangements, the note in a draft change to parliamentary rules reveals – but “after careful consideration, the government not to adopt this proposal”.

Consumer groups lobbied hard for a new scheme to maintain current arrangements, the note in a draft change to parliamentary rules reveals – but “after careful consideration, the government not to adopt this proposal”.

Written by BayRadio