The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has accused chancellor Alistair Darling of “using claims of tackling social and environmental ills as an excuse to take yet more tax from hard-pressed businesses and consumers”.
Responding to yesterday’s Budget, the BRC said Darling was “simply trying to disguise the need to plug holes in his finances”.
Stephen Robertson, BRC director general, said: “It’s clear the Chancellor has huge holes in his accounts and is trying to hide an old-fashioned tax grab behind a bags and alcohol smokescreen.
“Retailers are driving efforts to achieve social and environmental objectives, but the Chancellor’s green tax gimmickry is simply an excuse to take yet more money from hard-pressed businesses and consumers.”
On compulsory carrier bag charges, Robertson said: “It’s outrageous to suggest carrier bags are a major cause of climate change. There are many more significant contributors.
“Retailers have already committed to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags by a quarter by the end of this year. Huge progress has been made without any need for legislation.
“Customers took a billion fewer bags in the last 12 months, and retailers are over halfway to achieving the target on cutting the use of new plastic. This shows bans or taxes are not the only way. By setting a date for legislation, the government appears to have jumped to a verdict already, abandoning their agreement. Retailers take their environmental responsibilities very seriously, but want policies that are based on clear evidence, rather than knee-jerk reactions to highly emotive campaigns.”
Robertson added: “While focusing on the tax regime for cars, the Chancellor has ignored our calls to reward the use of greener vehicle fleets. Voluntarily, retailers are investing massively in achieving more efficient transport, including electrical and biofuel vehicles. This should be recognised and encouraged.”
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