diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-release-to-github.yaml b/.github/workflows/publish-release-to-github.yaml
index 82e14b0648..b778b56d06 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-release-to-github.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-release-to-github.yaml
@@ -30,25 +30,14 @@ jobs:
           git config user.name 'github-actions[bot]'
           git config user.email 'github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com'
 
-      - name: Create GitHub tag
-        id: create-github-tag
+      - name: Get current version
+        id: get-version
         run: |
           ALL_PACKAGE_VERSION=$(npm run version --silent --workspace govuk-frontend)
           TAG="v5.8.1-internal.0"
 
-          if [ $(git tag -l "$TAG") ]; then
-            echo "⚠️ Tag $TAG already exists. Please delete $TAG via the GitHub UI and re-run this workflow"
-            exit 1
-          else
-            echo "🗒 Tagging repo using tag version: $TAG ..."
-            git tag -a $TAG -m "GOV.UK Frontend release $TAG"
-            git push https://x-access-token:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}@github.com/${{ github.repository }} --tags
-            echo "🗒 Tag $TAG created and pushed to remote."
-            echo "GH_TAG=${TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          fi
-
       - name: Create GitHub archive
-        run: git archive -o ./release-${{ steps.create-github-tag.outputs.GH_TAG }}.zip HEAD:dist
+        run: git archive -o ./release-${{ steps.get-version.outputs.GH_TAG }}.zip HEAD:dist
 
       - name: Generate release notes
         uses: actions/github-script@v7.0.1
@@ -60,7 +49,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Create GitHub release
         run: |
-          GH_TAG=${{ steps.create-github-tag.outputs.GH_TAG }}
+          GH_TAG=${{ steps.get-version.outputs.GH_TAG }}
           RELEASE_NAME="GOV.UK Frontend $GH_TAG"
           RELEASE_BODY=$(cat release-notes-body)