Following Retail Week’s recent article about retailers squabbling like “cats in a bag”, I felt the need to write after some comments I made at the recent Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference may have been misunderstood.

I have huge respect for our supermarkets who by and large do a great job and, although they obviously benefited during the Covid lockdowns through their status as essential retailers, they have had their work cut out just like the rest of us. 

That’s especially the case for their troops on the ground, who must have had a stressful time of it, and many who do not even earn the real living wage.

At the CBI conference I questioned why the big grocers had received a rates holiday when they were obviously doing so well.

This, I subsequently learned, equated to a gift of some £3bn, while at the same time chancellor Rishi Sunak refused a relatively paltry £20m to fund kiddies’ lunches over half-term.

“It is for the tax authorities to set the rules fairly and I think, albeit informed by hindsight, this ‘benefit’ was rushed through without much thought”

I know it would be impossible for the supermarket bosses to return the rates money even if they wanted to, with the shareholders who technically employ them breathing down their necks.

And, in any case, I don’t agree with the good guys always being expected to do the right thing… leaving just the bad ones to benefit.

It is for the tax authorities to set the rules fairly and I think, albeit informed by hindsight, this ‘benefit’ was rushed through without much thought – and that was my point during the discussion at the CBI event. 

Sunak has been largely very supportive of business and that is welcome, of course,  but I do think the action he took on rates was ill-judged in this regard.

I have the highest regard for Simon Roberts at Sainsbury’s and I advise the wonderful team at Marks & Spencer – both businesses that have been able to trade because of their food offers.

“I don’t recall Tesco asking me the other week whether I minded them opening electrical store-in-stores in partnership with AO.com”

But as a taxpayer and citizen, I am very concerned about fairness and I feel there are grounds to question this decision by the government without being accused of ‘selling out’ the wider retail industry.

I don’t recall Tesco asking me the other week whether I minded them opening electrical store-in-stores in partnership with AO.com.

I must also add that my unspoken concern until now has been the suspicion that many of the supermarkets’ shareholders tend to vote for one political party – you can guess which – and the parents claiming Universal Credit for the other.

That just doesn’t sit right with me in a society that purports to be fair.

And, as far as us all pulling together to fight the archaic rating rules to level the playing field with home shopping businesses is concerned, count me in 100%.