IT was intriguing to note so many Conservatives, including the Prime Minister, claim credit for banning hidden charges for paying with credit or debit cards.
This was in fact nothing to do with the Conservative government, but was in fact due to the European Union and Directive 2015/2366 on Payment Services.
It was a measure proposed by the European Commission in July 2013 and agreed in 2015 by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers. This is the latest in a series of laws adopted by the EU in order to provide for modern, efficient and cheap payment services and to enhance protection for European consumers and businesses.
It is more than a little ironic for the Conservative government to take credit for something implemented by the European Union, a Union that we are leaving.
One wonders whether there may have been a different result if, in advance of the EU referendum, the government had in fact highlighted the positive benefits of EU membership such as this to the public.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
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