UK retailers have slammed a warning from UK Chancellor Alistair Darling of possible future legislation on single-use carrier bags as a “smokescreen to hide an old-fashioned tax grab”.
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In the UK Budget announced today (12 March), the Chancellor said the Government would bring in legislation if progress on reducing the use of bags is not made on a voluntary basis.
However, The British Retail Consortium said the Chancellor was “trying to disguise the need to plug holes in his finances”.
Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC, said: “We’ll need to look beyond the headlines to the inevitable unannounced detail before we can fully assess this Budget, but 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.”
Robertson added: “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.”
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By GlobalDataThe UK’s retailers are bringing in some measures to try to reduce bag usage among consumers. Asda has announced plans to remove single-use bags from its checkouts in June, and Marks & Spencer will introduce a GBP0.05 charge on carrier bags from May.
“By setting a date for legislation the Government appears to have jumped to a verdict already, abandoning their agreement,” Robertson said. “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.”
