17 July 2013
Green Party calls for North West-wide ‘Robin Hood’ levy on supermarkets
Councils across the region are being urged to back national campaign to revitalise their struggling local economies.
The Green Party says an initiative by the campaign group 'Local Works', which seeks to levy an additional 8.5% on business rates for supermarkets with rateable values of more than £½million, should be adopted North West-wide.
Local Works wants councils to make use of the Sustainable Communities Act to introduce such a levy, which is already benefitting thousands of small businesses in Northern Ireland. North West Greens say it would do the same here and a Green Party motion has already submitted to Liverpool City Council.
Peter Cranie, the Green Party’s lead candidate in the North West region for the 2014 European Parliament elections, says:
“The future of local jobs, shops, services and communities is on the line. We have to act.
“Tesco last year raked in nearly £2billion and Asda £857 million. Sainsbury’s made £756 million and Morrison’s made even more. We think they can afford to pay a little extra so that we can invest in local communities here in the North West.
"Much of what is spent in local shops stays within the local economy, meaning every pound spent in independent North West shops is an investment in the North West economy.”
Research by Local Works reveals that half of the turnover of an independent local retailer goes back into the local community, while just 5% of the turnover of a supermarket does.
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