Thursday, September 13, 2007

UPDATED: Tory plan for tax on supermarket shopping...

"If the answer is new taxes we’re asking the wrong question…half-baked proposals…telling people we are taking away their plasma TVs and charging them to park at the supermarket..."
Who’s leading the attack on the latest Conservative proposals?

Step forward Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, Roger Helmer who ridiculed the plans announced earlier today. Interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s World at One, Roger Helmer said most Conservatives he’s spoken to were horrified at the plans which have been largely endorsed by David Cameron.

UPDATE:
From today's Daily Mail:

Their document may have many virtues, but these will be obliterated by one much leaked notion that shoppers at supermarkets and DIY stores might have to pay parking charges under a Tory administration.

The thinking, which most of us would probably endorse, is to encourage shoppers to use High Street shops, some of which are threatened by the supermarkets.

The trouble is that this suggestion would penalise ordinary families who have little or no choice but to use supermarkets.

Many of these people are struggling to make ends meet, and the last thing they want is to have to pay for parking on top of everything else.

Isn't it ludicrous that Mr Goldsmith, who inherited a vast fortune from his billionaire adventurer father and who has probably seldom ever been to a supermarket, should conceive of a poll tax on ordinary people who have to shop?
The article goes on to say the idea is "dumb politics".

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

In fact, Dave Cameron is saying that the charges at out-of-town supermarkets are not going to happen.

The way to deal with out-of-town shopping is through the planning system.

Zac Goldsmith and John Selwyn Gummer may make unlikely messengers, but they are absolutely right to insist on no more Bluewaters.

As for Roger Helmer, his version of freebooting no-constrants capitalism should be getting the stick in this blog.

Anonymous said...

In fact, Dave Cameron is saying that the charges at out-of-town supermarkets are not going to happen.

The way to deal with out-of-town shopping is through the planning system.

Zac Goldsmith and John Selwyn Gummer may make unlikely messengers, but they are absolutely right to insist on no more Bluewaters.

As for Roger Helmer, his version of freebooting no-constrants capitalism should be getting the stick in this blog.

fairdealphil said...

in fact...??

sorry if i got it wrong...but:

It's a fact that I heard Helmer (Tory) say on national radio that Goldsmith (Tory) and Gummer (Tory) are proposing charges at out of town supermarkets, that the Goldsmith/Gummer report is a full frontal assault on Tory values and that most Tories he's spoken to were horrified at the half baked proposals they've come up with...

I haven't heard Cameron (Tory)rubbishing the report as you suggest, but i have heard him saying most of it will be in the Tory manifesto.

still it's only the bbc i'm listening to...

fairdealphil said...

"there is much of it we will include in our manifesto"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6992299.stm

Anonymous said...

Phil you know as well as I do that Cameron scrapped the proposal to give local councils the right to insist on parking charges at out of town supermarkets.

Helmer is one of those Tories that just does not know when to keep his mouth shut. These are not all "assaults on Tory values". I would love to ask him whether he has a smuch as browsed the report or just looked at the Daily 'moan' Mail version!

In my opinion (as a Tory) the report has many intresting proposals that I believe Cameron would do well to adopt.

fairdealphil said...

British Retail Consortium slams Tory proposals to charge customers for out of town supermarket shopping:

http://www.talkingretail.com/news/6564/BRC-slams-Tory-retail-proposal.ehtml

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said many of the recommendations for retail contained in the Conservatives’ Quality of Life Policy Group report, published today, were “based on ill-informed anti-supermarket myths and would cost customers more”.

BRC director general Kevin Hawkins said: “Many of these proposals for retail are ill thought out and based on tired anti-supermarket prejudices.

“David Cameron should accept that our modern, highly competitive, retail environment benefits customers who will not thank him for adopting market-stifling measures.”

The BRC also attacked the Tories’ proposals on retail planning restrictions.

Has the British Retail Consortium got it wrong too??

fairdealphil said...

pete:

thanks for your comment and information.

i'd missed cameron scrapping proposals to insist on parking charges at supermarkets.

i'm no friend of roger helmer (surprise, surprise), but i suspect that you or cameron telling him and others to shut his mouth - and keep his beliefs to himself - just won't work...

Anonymous said...

It suits the British Retail Consortium to forget that the Gummer-Goldsmith proposals were for out-of-town shopping, not for shopping in general.

As to why Phil is going along with their distortion of the Gummer-Goldsmith proposals.....?

Phil knows perfectly well that Dave Cameron's staff are saying they will run with the aviation taxes, but dump the Gummer-Goldsmith proposal on charging at out-of-town retail.

The Gummer-Goldsmith proposals are a mixed bag, but should be grudgingly supported against the Roger Helmer Thatcherism.