Value Added Tax (VAT) was christened the "Vagina Added Tax" by a Labour MP today, as she celebrated victory in her campaign to have the levy on tampons scrapped.
Today the prime minister confirmed he would accept a Labour amendment to the Budget that would get rid of the so-called 'tampon tax'.
“I hope that today is the day we consign the 'Vagina Added Tax' to history”
- Labour MP Paula Sheriff
Labour MP Paula Sheriff, who has campaigned to see VAT on sanitary products scrapped, celebrated in the Commons today by coining the new term.
"Mr Speaker, I hope that today is the day we consign the Vagina Added Tax to history," she said.
David Cameron told Sheriff he expected that "new epithet" will "live on in Hansard for many years to come".
Tampons have a VAT rate of 5%, the lowest rate permitted by EU rules. But the government has secured an agreement from Brussels to lower the rate.
Cameron told MPs today: "Getting over some of the language barriers on sanitary products in a 28-person European Council is something that is going to stay with me for a while."
Sherriff had tabled the amendment, which was expected to be supported by at least 25 Tories and have SNP support - enough to defeat the government on the issue.