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Brits heading on holidays this summer are being warned to check the rules for taking photos in public spaces as some countries have some hefty fines in place if you get it wrong

There’s nothing quite like a holiday selfie with an appropriately smug caption (‘How’s your Monday going?’ always seems to be a popular choice).

However, Brits heading on Dubai holidays should take note of the UAE’s privacy laws before getting their phone out in public spaces, or they could risk some hefty fines.

Luxury travel specialists at eShores have warned: “One wrong snap could bankrupt your holiday budget. Taking photographs of people without explicit consent is classed as a serious privacy violation in the UAE, with tourists facing eye-watering fines of up to 500,000 AED (£110,000) or even imprisonment. Cameras are strictly banned in government buildings, certain palaces, and designated areas throughout the emirate, so that Instagram story could literally cost you your freedom.”

The experts warn that in general, no matter where you’re travelling, it’s worth avoiding snapping photos in certain settings, for example in certain religious sites, government facilities, military and security zones, or public spaces where there are strict privacy laws, the latter being the case for Dubai.

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It’s not the first time that Brits have been urged to think twice before snapping a photo. In its UAE travel advice, the UK Foreign Office also warns Brits against “taking photos in secure areas”. A statement explains: “It is illegal to take photos of some government buildings and military installations. Hobbies like bird watching and plane spotting may be misunderstood, particularly near military sites, government buildings and airports.

“Do not photograph people without their permission. Men have been arrested for photographing women on beaches.”

Meanwhile, you’ll also want to be mindful of what you’re posting on social media. The Foreign Office warns: “It is illegal to post material, including videos and photographs, online that is critical of the UAE government, companies or individuals, or which relates to incidents in the UAE. This includes material which appears to abuse, ridicule or criticise the country or its authorities. Material that is culturally insensitive may also be considered illegal.”

It’s not just Dubai where you may want to think before you get your camera out. In Japan, you could also face fines for taking photos in no-camera zones, although these are around the £55 mark. The eShores insiders explained: “Train stations, traditional ryokan inns, and historic geisha districts like Kyoto’s world-famous Gion quarter all enforce strict no-camera policies. That candid shot of a geisha could land you a ¥10,000 (£55) fine – not to mention serious cultural offence.”

Gavin Lapidus, the travel firm’s founder, added: “While social media has transformed how we document our travels, it’s crucial that holidaymakers understand local laws and cultural sensitivities. What seems like an innocent holiday snap can result in serious legal consequences.

“We always recommend travellers research photography restrictions before they travel, or better yet, speak to experienced travel consultants who understand each destination’s cultural nuances and legal requirements. A few minutes of preparation could ultimately save you thousands of pounds in fines.”

Do you have a story to tell us? Email us at [email protected]

A Brit abroad has warned people visiting Benidorm this year that there are allegedly “fake taxis” driving around, urging people to exercise caution when they’re travelling

Heading to Benidorm this summer? One Brit abroad has shared that you may want to be careful about the taxis you’re getting in while you’re there. Harry, who posts regular Benidorm content under the username @harrytokky, shared the “warning,” urging people to exercise caution because there are reportedly “fake taxis” which could turn out to be a “random stranger’s car,” and they will not take you to the destination you want to arrive at.

Harry explained in his TikTok video that he would tell people which taxis were safe to take and which to avoid completely if they wanted to stay safe in the party capital.

He said that “in Benidorm there’s only one type of taxi that you should be getting into,” and they are “white cars with a blue stripe down the middle”.

Harry shared that they usually “have a light on the top of the roof,” and it will be either green or red. “If they’re red, the taxi is in use,” whereas if the light is green, it’s free to get in.

He said these taxis will “take you to your destination nice and safe,” which is more than can be said for the “fake taxis” he speaks of.

Harry continued: “So guys, if you’re coming out to Benidorm, they are the only taxis that you should be looking out for because you don’t want to get into some random stranger’s car” because they may not take you where you’re going.

In the comments, someone wrote: “What about Uber? The last time I was there, I used Uber from Benidorm old town to the airport; it was a regular black car.”

Others reiterated that they managed to use Uber while they were there, but others shared that they’d “struggled” and “couldn’t get the app to work”.

Another Benidorm visitor recommended “the Pide app,” saying it was “really easy”. Harry responded: “I totally agree with you. I should’ve mentioned that”.

Somebody else said that they’d used the Pide app the “whole time” they were in Benidorm, saying it provided them with “fantastic service”.

Radio Taxi Benidorm is a local taxi company that can be contacted by phone when you are in the area, and they provide safe taxi journeys that are legitimate.

In the comments, another person recommended that you look for the “blue stripe” on the car to be sure that it’s a real taxi.

It’s important to note that in high season, it may be more challenging to find taxis readily available at the ranks.

Others recommend that, for safety, you get your hotel to call you a taxi so you know they’re real. You can also ask a restaurant to call you a taxi, so you’re not walking around the streets to find one.

You can also check the Google rating of a taxi company before using it, but make sure you do your research online beforehand.

Holidaymakers are being warned that they could face fines or criminal prosecution for bringing an innocent sandwich into an EU country due to strict meat and dairy rules

British holidaymakers gearing up for a European getaway this summer have been given a stark warning about a deceptively simple blunder that could put them at loggerheads with EU border officials.

British travellers risk incurring hefty fines or possibly even facing legal action if they unwittingly transport something as innocuous as a prepackaged sandwich into an EU member state, thanks to stringent import restrictions on meat and dairy products.

Maryanne Sparks from European Waterways has alerted UK nationals: “If you travel to the EU from a non-EU country, you are not allowed to bring any meat or dairy products with you – this includes those you would find in a meal deal sandwich.”

In light of Brexit, Britain has been designated as a third country outside the EU, meaning British citizens must adhere to the same tight rules faced by other non-EU nations.

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Maryanne warned further: “When arriving in the EU, you may have to undergo official controls by the authorities.

“If you are carrying any undeclared meat or dairy products, they will be confiscated and destroyed. Additionally, you may be fined or face criminal prosecution.”, reports the Express.

The European Commission has highlighted concerns that items containing “meat, milk or their products” carry significant risks for animal health across the bloc.

Providing advice to travellers, Maryanne clarified: “It is safe to consume these sandwiches in the airport and on the plane, but they must be disposed of either before you get off the flight or as soon as you enter the terminal at the other side.”

Travellers are warned: “To avoid fines or potential criminal prosecution, ensure that any meat or dairy products are not carried into the EU.”

However, there are a few exceptions to these rules. Parents can breathe a sigh of relief as powdered infant milk and baby food are allowed.

Additionally, you can bring up to 20kg of fish or 2kg of honey, as well as live oysters, mussels, and snails.

It’s essential to note that these restrictions only apply to individuals entering the EU from non-member countries.

If you’re travelling between EU nations or arriving from countries like Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, or Iceland, you’re exempt from these rules.

As the holiday season kicks off, experts advise Brits to carefully inspect their luggage and refrain from carrying prohibited food items to avoid any issues or penalties at the border.

As visitor numbers to the party-mad region of Benidorm continues to soar, officials are clamping down on tourists breaking a little-known rule when it comes to renting out mobility scooters

Sun-worshipping Brits are being warned not to break a little-known rule that could land them with a hefty fine.

Last year, a whopping 2.8 million tourists flocked to the party-mad resort of Benidorm, marking a 2.9 per cent jump compared to 2023. The boom has largely been attributed to UK holidaymakers – who have been flocking to the sunny hotspot as early as the 1950s.

Lured in by golden sandy beaches and cobalt waters, Benidorm is famous for its vibrant nightlife and wild entertainment, which has long been popular with Stag and Hen Dos. It is the place to be if you want to drink yourself silly in a fancy dress costume, and sober up the next day with a huge English Breakfast.

The Spanish city, located on the eastern coast of Valencia’s iconic Costa Blanca, has a reputation for attracting elderly Brits who rely on mobility scooters to get from A to B – which has no doubt been perpetuated by the acclaimed TV series, Benidorm. But demand for these vehicles isn’t just a stereotype, as there are more than a dozen mobility scooter shops in the region.

READ MORE: Huge blow to Greece as tourists abandon popular island for key reason

However, many people do not realise that Benidorm Local Law explicitly states you must be aged over 55 years old or have a certified disability for walking in order to rent an electrical scooter. Renters will also take a cash deposit from customers and make them sign a contract laying out all of the strict rules they must abide by.

This includes always carrying their rental contract with them, and avoiding slopes with an incline greater than five percent. Carrying multiple passengers on an individual scooter is also prohibited.

“Never leave the key when going down the Scooter,” warns Amigo24, a popular mobility scooter rental firm in Benidorm. “[You] will not be covered by your insurance in case of robbery.”

Following a rise in complaints over tourists renting vehicles for fun, and without proper insurance, the council has since emphasised that the use of mobility scooters is ‘strictly limited’ to those that genuinely need the aid. According to EuroNews, authorities are also cracking down on those driving around the city at ‘dangerous speeds’. Violating any of these rules risks sky-high fines of up to €500 (approximately £425).

“Mobility scooters are designed for those with walking difficulties,” Lee Cartwright, mobility scooter specialist at Mobility Solutions Direct, told Bristol Live. “If you can walk safely without one and you don’t have a permit for one, it is best not to ride a mobility scooter to avoid a fine.”

The expert urged those who do need to use a mobility scooter to stick to the speed limit, which is 4mph when on the pavement. Class three mobility scooters, which are intended to be driven on the roads, are allowed to go up to 8mph.

“A majority of those using a scooter without permission are young British people who are using the vehicle to go clubbing rather than pay for a taxi,” he added. “But this results in reckless driving, such as weaving through traffic, driving too closely to others, and failing to be aware of their surroundings. Riding a scooter while intoxicated is both hazardous and against the law, similar to driving a car under the influence.”

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SAN DIEGO — There was a one-handed finish. A slow stroll out of the batter’s box. And a leisurely, long-awaited trip around the bases.

It’d been a while since Teoscar Hernández last admired such a momentous home run ball.

It was a sight the struggling Dodgers had come to sorely miss.

Ever since returning from an adductor strain last month, Hernández had endured one of his coldest stretches at the plate since joining the Dodgers last year. He was batting .171 over 20 games since his mid-May return to the lineup. He had just three hits in 38 at-bats over his last 10 contests.

His struggles, which also included only one home run since April 28, had become so pronounced that they finally reached a tipping point ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres, with manager Dave Roberts moving Hernández out of his customary cleanup spot in the batting order in favor of hot-hitting catcher Will Smith.

“I love him in the four [spot] when he’s right,” Roberts said pregame. “But clearly the last few weeks, he’s been scuffling.”

With one swing in the top of the sixth, however, Hernández finally started to look right again.

In what was a tie game at Petco Park, on a day first place in the National League West was up for grabs, Hernández delivered the decisive blow in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the Padres, belting a three-run home run to straightaway center that sent the club a pivotal series victory.

Hernández’s sixth-inning at-bat was everything his recent trips to the plate hadn’t been during his weeks-long slump.

He finally got ahead in a 2-and-0 count — something Roberts had noted was a rarity for the 32-year-old slugger of late, in large part because of his inability to punish mistakes in his hitting zone.

“Balls that he should move forward, he’s not,” Roberts said. “And with that, there’s more chase, because he’s getting behind.”

And when Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada did serve up a mistake over the plate, Hernández didn’t miss it, clobbering a 2-and-1 fastball down the middle for a 420-foot drive that broke open the game.

The Dodgers (41-28) got other heroics in Wednesday’s rubber-match triumph, one that gives them a two-game lead in the division over the Padres (38-29).

Ben Casparius gave up just one run in a four-inning start, replacing originally listed starter Justin Wrobleski in what could be a permanent move to the starting rotation for the rookie right-hander (or, at least, until the rest of the Dodgers’ banged-up pitching staff gets healthy in the coming months).

“With things that are going on with the rotation — and obviously the way Ben’s performed, being a former starting pitcher — we like this kind of transition right now,” Roberts said of Casparius, who had been serving as a swingman in the bullpen for most of the season. “What that means after today, we’ll see … Potentially there’s a chance to continue to build him up, which right now makes sense.”

Michael Conforto, meanwhile, got the game tied at 1-1 with an opposite-field homer in the fifth, marking just his second long ball since April 5.

Even in the sixth inning, Hernández wasn’t alone. With one out, Freddie Freeman legged out an infield single, despite playing through not only his gimpy right ankle but also “a little quad thing” Roberts said he has been dealing with in recent days. Then, Smith reached base for the first of three times on the day by drawing a key one-out walk.

Four pitches later, both preceded Hernández on his trot around the bases after he came through with his go-ahead swing.

The Padres didn’t go away down the stretch. A Hyeseong Kim throwing error led to one run in the sixth, trimming the Dodgers’ lead back down to two runs. Then in the seventh, the command problems that plagued recently activated reliever Michael Kopech during his minor-league rehab stint last month reared their ugly head, with the right-hander issuing three-straight one-out walks in the seventh to load the bases.

Anthony Banda, however, escaped that jam in a continuation of his recent return to form (he has given up just three runs over his last 13 outings). Tanner Scott maintained his own recent turnaround with a scoreless eighth inning (giving him five consecutive scoreless appearances) before Alex Vesia emerged for his third save of the season in the ninth.

A SIMPLE holiday error could see a host of benefits including Universal Credit and PIP stopped.

You may even have to pay back any overpaid money and in a worse case scenario an up to £5,000 penalty too.

1

Going abroad is classed as a change in circumstances which must be reported to the office that pays your benefits.

If you do not, it may be reduced or stopped and you could be told to pay back any overpaid amounts.

If you are found to have deliberately not reported going abroad, it is classed as benefit fraud and you could be taken to court or asked to pay a penalty of between £350 and £5,000.

However, at which point you have to report going abroad varies based on the benefit you are receiving.

For example, you don’t have to report going abroad if you’re on Attendance Allowance (AA) and going away for less than four weeks.

If you do need to report going abroad, you need to tell your local Jobcentre Plus or the office that pays your benefit.

This is the full list of benefits where you may have to report going abroad this summer:

• Universal Credit
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• PIP
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
• Maternity Allowance
• Child Benefit
• Guardian’s Allowance

Here are the rules on reporting going abroad for the major benefits.

Universal Credit

If you’re on Universal Credit, you can stay abroad for one month and carry on receiving payments.

You still have to tell your work coach you’re going away and have to carry on meeting the conditions of your claim.

For example, if you are in the intensive work group and have to spend a minimum amount of hours per week looking for a job, you have to continue doing this.

There are exceptions to the one-month rule though – such as if a “close relative” dies while you are abroad and it is not deemed reasonable for you to return to the UK.

Meanwhile, you can carry on claiming Universal Credit for up to six months if you have gone abroad for medical treatment.

You can report going away on holiday by signing in via your Universal Credit account.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

If you are on New Style or income-based JSA you must report if you are leaving Great Britain for any length of time.

You can let the Government know you are going away by calling the JSA helpline on 0800 169 0310.

You can also write to the Jobcentre Plus office that pays your JSA.

You can find your nearest office by using its online branch locator.

PIP and DLA

You have to tell the DWP if you are on Personal Independence payments (PIP) Or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and going away for more than four weeks.

You have to tell the Government the date you are leaving the country, how long you are going away for and which country you plan to visit.

You also need to tell the DWP why you plan to go abroad.

You can call the Disability Service Centre on 0800 121 4433 to inform them you are going away if you are on PIP or DLA.

Attendance Allowance

Like with PIP and DLA, you have to tell the DWP if you plan to go abroad for more than four weeks and are on AA.

You can claim AA for up to 13 weeks while abroad, or 26 weeks if you’re going away for medical treatment.

Carer’s Allowance

If you are on Carer’s Allowance, you can go away for up to four weeks over a six-month period while still receiving the benefit.

But you still have to report this or risk having to pay back your entitlement or paying a fine.

You can report going away via the Government’s website or by calling the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297.

Pension Credit

You can claim Pension Credit for up to four weeks if you are abroad.

This is extended to eight weeks if the absence is due to the death of your partner or a child.

However, you still need to report going abroad.

You can do this via the Government’s website or by calling the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 731 0469.

Housing Benefit

You can usually only carry on claiming Housing Benefit for up to four weeks if you go abroad.

Like with Pension Credit, you can carry on receiving it for eight weeks if you have to go abroad because a close relative has died.

But you should contact the Benefits Service on 020 7364 5000 to let them know you’re going away.

You might also be able to via your local council’s website. You can find your local council by using the Government’s online locator tool.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

A stunning Spanish town that 1,000 residents once called home was completely abandoned and left to rot more than five decades ago – all because of a flood that never even happened

A tiny but beautiful town looking out onto emerald waters used to home 1,000 residents has been slowly rotting away for more than five decades.

Boasting rows of colourful houses, a 15th century castle, and wrap-around fortress walls that still stand strong, Granadilla looks like something straight out of a travel brochure. But, if you take a closer look, you’ll realise it’s missing one important feature: people.

Founded in the 9th Century, the town (which is located in Spain’s western Extremadura community) was a strategic region for trade and travel. However, in the 1950s dictator Francisco Franco unveiled his ambitious plans to boost the country’s economy by constructing a series of huge dams – the largest of which was the Gabriel y Galán reservoir, which surrounded Granadilla.

READ MORE: Spanish islands’ all-inclusive 6-drink cap and what it really means for tourists

Over the following decade, the politician forcibly demanded every single resident move out of the town, many of which chose to settle in nearby villages – hopeful that they could one day return. The eviction was blamed on rising water levels, which threatened to flood the peninsula.

However, some 55 years later and the town has never flooded, not even once. Still, residents haven’t been permitted to re-enter – leaving the whole region a complete ghost town. “They kicked us out, claiming that the dam would flood the town, which was impossible because the town is higher than the dam,” Eugenio Jiménez, president of the Association Sons of Granadilla told the BBC back in 2022.

“But those were times of dictatorship, and we had no rights. But what truly frustrates me is that during democratic times, I’ve been struggling for the recovery of Granadilla with the former children’s association, and no government has listened to us.”

Instead of allowing residents to go back to their homes, Granadilla has turned into a tourist attraction – and was officially declared as a Historic-Artistic site in 1980. Funds generated from holidaymakers have gone into preserving the town and its hilltop castle. According to reports, twice a year – on the Day of the Assumption of Mary in August, and All Saints’ Day in November – the former residents of Granadilla and their descendants come together in the ancient village.

“Enter through the narrow Puerta de Villa, overlooked by the sturdy 15th-century castle, which you can climb for brilliant panoramas,” hailed experts over at Lonely Planet. “From the Puerta de Villa, the cobblestone Calle Mayor climbs up to the delightfully rustic Plaza Mayor, surrounded by vibrant buildings. On the right stands the beautiful Casa de las Conchas, its peach-coloured exterior studded with white ceramic shells.

“Some buildings function as craft workshops or exhibition centres in summer. Don’t miss a stroll along the top of the 1km-long Almohad walls, with evocative views of the village, lake, eucalyptuses and pinewoods.”

Granadilla remains somewhat out of the UK tourist limelight as it is situated pretty far from most Spanish airports. For example, it is over three hours from Madrid, and almost four hours from Seville. Salamanca is technically the nearest airport – but no UK airports fly here directly.

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Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Jeremy Clarkson admitted he would be “sobbing on the floor” after Contestant Nicholas Bennett lost the biggest amount in show history

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Contestant Nicholas Bennett lost the biggest amount of money in the show’s history after making a huge mistake.

The show, which has now been running for 30 seasons, saw Nicholas get all the way to 500k without using any of his lifelines, leaving host Jeremy Clarkson hugely impressed. However, things took a turn, and Nicholas ended up losing a whopping £375k.

After the £125,000 question, Clarkson says: “He’s just roaring along.”

Next up was the £250,000 question, which read: “Which of these groups never successfully invaded the city of Rome?”. The options were: “a) Visigoths, b) Huns, c) Vandals, d) Gauls”.

Nicholas, looking quite confident, said: “I do like history, I know the Gauls invaded pretty early on. I’m pretty sure the Vandals destroyed the city – that’s why we have vandalism. I don’t think the Huns did, I don’t think they made it that far into Europe, whereas I knew the Visigoths were around. As it’s a free shot, I’m 70-80% sure…”

Clarkson proceeded to remind him that he’s still got all four lifelines and that he doesn’t need to guess, however, Nicholas responds: “I don’t think this is a guess though. Maybe on the next question I’ll need them, so I’m gonna say Huns – final answer.”

Lo and behold, the answer was correct, and Nicholas went on to the next question worth £500k.

Host Jeremy Clarkson observed: “You seem quite relaxed”, to which Nicholas responds: “It’s not relaxed inside my head.”

The £500k question read: “Which of these long-running US sitcoms had the most episodes? a) The Big Bang Theory b) Friends c) The Office or d) Seinfeld”.

Unsure on the answer, he asked the audience who thought it was Friends – but only 37% – while 30% thought Seinfeld. Still unsure and not wanting to take chances yet, he used 50/50, which left The Big Bang Theory and The Office (which meant the audience was wrong).

Nicolas stated that it was difficult to get his words out before revealing The Big Bang Theory as his final answer. The answer was correct and then it was on to the final question, the £1million question.

Clarkson asks: “Which of these words, each coined by a famous writer, was derived from the title of a fairytale about three princes? a)Pandemonium b) Serendipity c) Utopia d) Yahoo.”

Nicholas says: “The one that’s standing out to me is yahoo, but I don’t know.”

He asks host Jeremy, who says he can’t think of a fairytale that’s about three princes and points out that all four words have come from authors. Nicholas then remembers a puppet show he went to recently in Spain, which he thinks was about three princes. He said he doesn’t speak Spanish well enough to know what the story was about. “But I think someone was yelling yahoo”, he said.

He reasons that he’s still got £125k if he gets it wrong, and Clarkson points out that he would lose £375k and that he has another lifeline. Nicholas then used his lifeline, but unfortunately, his friend Meg had no idea of the answer.

“Normally, I’m really averse to any kind of gambling, but I do think I’m going to go for it,” he says, “Yahoo, final answer.”

The computer then reveals the answer to be serendipity, coined by Horace Walpole from The Three Princes of Serendip. Nicholas shrugs and says: ”I’ve still got £125k” as Jeremy admits he would be “sobbing on the floor” if he’d just lost that much money.

“Oh my giddy aunt,” Clarkson said afterwards. “Is that the biggest loss in Millionaire history?” and he tells Nicholas: “I don’t think I’ve had a contestant I’ve enjoyed more than you. Well done, enjoy your winnings.”

After the ad break he welcomed viewers back by saying: “We’ve just seen someone lose what we think is the biggest amount in Who Wants to be a Millionaire history”.

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Aston Villa will complain to the Premier League after a “big mistake” by referee Thomas Bramall contributed to them losing 2-0 at Manchester United and missing out on the Champions League.

With the match goalless and Villa down to 10 men after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was correctly sent off, the visitors thought they had scored when Morgan Rogers nudged the ball away from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and slotted home.

However, Bramall blew for a foul, thinking Bayindir had two hands on the ball, though television footage showed otherwise.

Because Bramall stopped play before the ball entered the net, the video assistant referee (VAR) could not intervene.

Moments later, Amad Diallo headed United in front – and Christian Eriksen’s late penalty condemned Villa to a defeat that meant they finished sixth and missed out on Champions League football on goal difference.

In Villa’s post-match news conference, director of football operations Damian Vidagany said the club were unhappy 35-year-old Bramall had been given such an important game.

“We are going to send a complaint,” said Vidagany. “The complaint is not about the decision, it is about the selection of the referee – one of the most inexperienced referees in the Premier League.

“It’s not about the decision, clearly it was a mistake. The complaint is about the referee. The problem is why the international referees were not here today.”

Bramall first refereed in the Premier League in August 2022 and his games this season have largely been in either the top flight or the second tier, with 11 in the Premier League and 12 in the Championship.

Villa boss Unai Emery was visibly furious with the decision to disallow Rogers’ goal – and award United their late penalty.

Speaking after the game, he said: “The TV is clear but, of course, we have to accept it. It was a mistake. A big mistake.”

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) – the body responsible for refereeing games in English professional football – declined to comment.

If you voted for Donald Trump last November because you believed he’d increase economic freedom, it’s safe to say you were fooled. Following a reckless tariff barrage, the White House and its allies are preparing a new wave of tax-code gimmickry that has more in common with progressive social engineering than pro-growth reform. And don’t forget a fiscal recklessness that mirrors the mistakes of the left.

Defend these policies if you like, but let’s be clear: The administration shows no coherent commitment to free-market principles and is in fact actively undermining them. Its approach is better described as central planning disguised as economic nationalism.

This week’s example is an executive-order attempt at prescription-drug price control, similar to Democrats’ past proposals. If implemented it would inevitably reduce pharmaceutical R&D and innovation.

Tariffs remain the administration’s most visible economic sin after Trump launched the most extreme escalation of protectionism since the infamous Smoot-Hawley Act of 1930. Unlike the 1930s, however, today’s economy is deeply integrated with global supply chains, making the damage extensive and far more immediate. Tariffs are only nominally imposed on imports. Ultimately, they’re taxes on American consumers, workers and businesses.

The president has made it clear that he’s fine with limiting consumer choice, blithely telling parents they might have to “settle” for two dolls instead of 30 for their children. Smug pronouncements about how much we should shop (not much) or which sectors we should work in (manufacturing) are economic authoritarianism.

They’re also indicative of a deeper government rot. Policymaking is now done by executive orders as comatose congressional Republicans, like some Biden-era Democrats, allow the president to rule as if he’s a monarch.

A full-throated, assertive Congress would remind any president that manufacturing jobs were mostly lost to technologies that also create jobs and opportunity in members’ districts. Prosperity increases only through innovation and competition and isn’t restored by dragging people backward into lower-productivity jobs.

Now, even Trump’s tax agenda — once considered a bright spot by many free-market advocates — is being corrupted. Instead of championing the broad-based, pro-growth reforms we’d hoped for, the administration is doubling down on gimmickry: exempting tips and overtime pay, expanding child tax credits and entertaining the idea of raising top marginal tax rates.

These moves might poll well, but they’re unprincipled and unproductive. They undermine the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which aimed (however imperfectly) to simplify the code and incentivize growth, and not to micromanage worker and household behavior through the Internal Revenue Service.

And then there are the administration’s misleading, populist talking points about raising taxes on the rich to reduce taxes on lower- and middle-income workers. The U.S. income-tax system is already one of the most progressive in the developed world. According to the latest IRS data, the top 1% of earners pay more in federal income taxes than the bottom 90% combined. These high earners provide 40% of federal income-tax revenue; the bottom half of earners make up only 3% of that revenue. Thankfully, the House of Representatives steered away from that mistake in its bill.

Meanwhile, some Republican legislators are pushing to extend the 2017 tax cuts without meaningful offsets, setting the stage for a debt-fueled disaster. As noted by Scott Hodge, formerly the longtime president of the Tax Foundation, the GOP’s proposed cuts could add more than $5.8 trillion to the debt over a decade. That’s nearly three times the cost of the 2021 American Rescue Plan, which many Republicans rightly criticized for fueling inflation and fiscal instability.

To be clear: Pro-growth tax reform is essential. But not every tax cut is pro-growth, and no tax cut justifies further fiscal deterioration. Extending the 2017 cuts, which I generally support, shouldn’t be confused with true tax reform.

Some of the provisions being floated — expanded credits, exclusions for tips and overtime, rolling back the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap — are not growth policies. They are wealth redistribution run through the tax code, indistinguishable in substance from the kind of demand-side, Keynesian stimulus Republicans once decried.

Hodge notes that these measures would do more to mimic the American Rescue Plan than to reverse its pricey mistakes. And with the Federal Reserve still fighting inflation, adding trillions in unfunded liabilities to the national ledger is profoundly irresponsible.

None of this should surprise anyone paying attention. This administration is packed with advisors and surrogates who glorify union power, rail against globalization and scoff at the very idea of limited government. Some sound more like Bernie Sanders than Milton Friedman. Whether it’s directing industrial policy or distorting the tax code to reward their favorite behaviors, they are hostile to the competition and liberty of the free market.

Sadly, that hostility has real consequences: higher prices, greater economic uncertainty, sluggish investment and fewer opportunities for middle- and lower-class families.

Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate.