Esther McVey and Lucy Powell say taxpayers’ money not needed by big chains, who are paying out dividends
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Big supermarkets should hand back almost £2bn in business rates relief on offer during the coronavirus pandemic because they are paying out dividends to shareholders, according to a former minister in Boris Johnson’s government.
The government introduced a 12-month break on business rates in March across England and Wales because it feared the pandemic would put strain on retailers’ finances, potentially threatening their ability to feed the country. However, the reality was very different, with big supermarkets enjoying a sales boost, albeit with higher costs.
