Brighton and Hove council leader Jason Kitcat wants supermarkets and big retailers to pay a levy because, he said, they have an unfair advantage over small local shops.
Councillor Kitcat, the Green Party leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, floated the idea in his column in the current issue of the Brighton and Hove Independent free weekly newspaper.
He wrote: “Money spent in local and independent shops is worth many times more to the local economy because it is respent locally by shopkeepers – whether in wages to local people, in contracts with suppliers or in fees to local accountants.
“They also employ many more local people relative to their turnover when compared with large supermarkets.
“In comparison, research suggests that some 95 per cent of the money spent in big shops is siphoned away from our local economy to head office and shareholders.
“The odds are stacked even further against small businesses through the nationally-set business rates scheme.
“The Federation of Small Businesses estimates that business rates are five time more expensive for small businesses as a proportion of turnover than they are for large companies.
“Brighton and Hove City Council is one of a number of councils looking at ways in which we can rebalance this historic unfairness which currently favours larger retailers.
“This is even more important as the government has ruled out reviewing business rates for another three years.
“So I am asking for cross-party for a national campaign calling for powers to introduce a local levy on big retailer outlets such as supermarkets.
“This would represent a tiny fraction of the huge profits they make. The biggest four supermarkets each posts operating profits of more than £500 million a year.
“This measure would make a huge difference – and could be redistributed to help smaller independent businesses through schemes such as local rate discounts, area improvements or bus routes.
“Big shops like supermarkets have a part to play in our local economy.
“We want, however, to make sure they contribute to – as well as take from – local communities, especially when their continued expansion threatens the diverse small businesses that make Brighton and Hove such a unique place to live and visit.”
Another Day – Another Tax from the loony-left…
Who does this person think will be paying the extra tax?
It’s the customers..
Another Day – Another Tax from the loony-left…
Who does this person think will be paying the extra tax?
It’s the customers..
What a plank, the Greens have no idea! Brighton is already quite a rubbish place to shop, we lack large retail parks, we just have two or 3 very small ones. Much better shopping (and parking) Worthing or Guildford.
What a plank, the Greens have no idea! Brighton is already quite a rubbish place to shop, we lack large retail parks, we just have two or 3 very small ones. Much better shopping (and parking) Worthing or Guildford.
The ‘snot’ Greens will continue promoting their ultra-politically correct, Marxist manifesto of ruining Brighton until they are removed from power; either at the next election, or via a vote of no-confidence
The ‘snot’ Greens will continue promoting their ultra-politically correct, Marxist manifesto of ruining Brighton until they are removed from power; either at the next election, or via a vote of no-confidence
Kitcat is quite correct, supermarkets have a generally negative impact on a local economy. Many of the small shops in our vibrant city support many local Sussex suppliers.
Sad to see the posters above not supporting their local shops, their community or their county.
Kitcat is quite correct, supermarkets have a generally negative impact on a local economy. Many of the small shops in our vibrant city support many local Sussex suppliers.
Sad to see the posters above not supporting their local shops, their community or their county.
@HJarrs – thank you for your usual fanboy sycophantic support of your charisma-challenged, failed MEP candidate/Euro gravy-train chaser, green council leader/convenor. As we all know, the green party is actually left-wing, and Kitcat is controlled by the secretive anti-capitalist green-left that hides in the shadows.
As the incompetent green ‘led’ council has failed to get more finance for their vanity projects by increasing council tax by the 4.5% they wanted, they are now looking to get it from other sources.
As usual JHarrs has to resort to insulting the other posters who disagree with the eco-activists who no longer seem to be worried about the environment, but instead more about funding their socialist plans by grabbing money from yet another direction.
Do you all think the greens really worry about small businesses?
@HJarrs – thank you for your usual fanboy sycophantic support of your charisma-challenged, failed MEP candidate/Euro gravy-train chaser, green council leader/convenor. As we all know, the green party is actually left-wing, and Kitcat is controlled by the secretive anti-capitalist green-left that hides in the shadows.
As the incompetent green ‘led’ council has failed to get more finance for their vanity projects by increasing council tax by the 4.5% they wanted, they are now looking to get it from other sources.
As usual JHarrs has to resort to insulting the other posters who disagree with the eco-activists who no longer seem to be worried about the environment, but instead more about funding their socialist plans by grabbing money from yet another direction.
Do you all think the greens really worry about small businesses?
@pachallis The citizens of Brighton; every day (in every day) working hard together to SMASH the incompetent, negligent, ultra politically-correct, Marxist incapable Green Council!
@pachallis The citizens of Brighton; every day (in every day) working hard together to SMASH the incompetent, negligent, ultra politically-correct, Marxist incapable Green Council!
JHARS.. You may not like supermarkets but there are some very positive benfits to them. They have, in general, increased the quality, availability and veriety of food. They decreased the cost of food. They have moved with the changes in society to allow working people to shop when they can. The ‘small shops’ you allude to hark back to another time and society.. When men worked, women stayed at home – took care of the kids and spent their time trawling the local shops for provisions..
We no longer live in that wold..
It’s gone.
JHARS.. You may not like supermarkets but there are some very positive benfits to them. They have, in general, increased the quality, availability and veriety of food. They decreased the cost of food. They have moved with the changes in society to allow working people to shop when they can. The ‘small shops’ you allude to hark back to another time and society.. When men worked, women stayed at home – took care of the kids and spent their time trawling the local shops for provisions..
We no longer live in that wold..
It’s gone.
Supermarkets do have benefits, but they also have a downside. In my opinion, the balance had gone too far towards a handful of companies have a stranglehold on the food supply and they suck money out of local communities, providing only a few low paid jobs (and continuing automation will mean fewer jobs).
Let’s support our local shops and producers.
Supermarkets do have benefits, but they also have a downside. In my opinion, the balance had gone too far towards a handful of companies have a stranglehold on the food supply and they suck money out of local communities, providing only a few low paid jobs (and continuing automation will mean fewer jobs).
Let’s support our local shops and producers.
There’s a difference in supporting ‘local’ business and penalising successful ‘national international ‘ businesses.
Why would a large business locate to Brighton if the council was to charge extra tax?
Why would any large business remain?
Who decides who’s to be the recipient of help?
How would we ensure it’s not used as some politically motivated slush-fund to gerrymander support?
Why is the local political elite involved in business? Surely most people just want them to run the business of the council not get involved in other matters.
I for one would like to see them concentrate on that the stick their noses in any other !
There’s a difference in supporting ‘local’ business and penalising successful ‘national international ‘ businesses.
Why would a large business locate to Brighton if the council was to charge extra tax?
Why would any large business remain?
Who decides who’s to be the recipient of help?
How would we ensure it’s not used as some politically motivated slush-fund to gerrymander support?
Why is the local political elite involved in business? Surely most people just want them to run the business of the council not get involved in other matters.
I for one would like to see them concentrate on that the stick their noses in any other !
Poor Jason, he really does not have a clue. His own Ltd company was closed down earlier this year because it was losing money.
i8t would help if the council planning division wouldn’t approve planning for all the super stores and local/metro supermarkets that have sprung up or are in development stage at the mo’.
the greens have a terrible record on this and I believe they were originally a party concerned with the environment (many planning consents given for building on green belt/SSSI land)..
it is not a ‘green’ problem per se but as they are the incumberant numbskulls in control of the council then all blame should be laid upon them
levying a local tax on the big supermarkets would be illegal anyways and I think this political idiot should do something more valuable with his time (volunteerr at a local food bank or community project) rather than spouting such unworkable ideas..
@M Zuma – thanks for the update on Kitcat.
I did wonder how a company run by Jason and his wife that created web sites for schools could really stay in business – especially with all the time he spends blogging on Twitter; standing for an MEP in the South East; presenting at European Green meetings on how wonderful the green council is working; being the lead convenor for the green party in Brighton and Hove; writing his infamous papers; and being ‘leader’ of the council.
As (like Alexandra Philips) he failed in his attempt to get on the MEP gravy-train job due to the greens poor showing in the European elections, so I assume he now has to spend more time networking and lining up another a new job for May 2015 – how about MP for Brighton?
Also after re-reading the original article it appears that the greens can’t just introduce the local tax on bigger businesses – they would have to get a change in the laws – so it is probably very unlikely that this will be passed. So it’s just another green-left ideology…
@M Zuma – thanks for the update on Kitcat.
I did wonder how a company run by Jason and his wife that created web sites for schools could really stay in business – especially with all the time he spends blogging on Twitter; standing for an MEP in the South East; presenting at European Green meetings on how wonderful the green council is working; being the lead convenor for the green party in Brighton and Hove; writing his infamous papers; and being ‘leader’ of the council.
As (like Alexandra Philips) he failed in his attempt to get on the MEP gravy-train job due to the greens poor showing in the European elections, so I assume he now has to spend more time networking and lining up another a new job for May 2015 – how about MP for Brighton?
Also after re-reading the original article it appears that the greens can’t just introduce the local tax on bigger businesses – they would have to get a change in the laws – so it is probably very unlikely that this will be passed. So it’s just another green-left ideology…