Supermarket levy sparks anger

THE government is under fire over plans for a new levy on supermarkets to raise £110m over three years.

Before the election, the SNP abandoned plans for a “Tesco tax” after complaints it would hit large shops in Princes Street and the city centre as well as out-of-town stores. But the latest proposal is for a “public health levy” on stores with a rateable value over £300,000 which sell both tobacco and alcohol.

The Scottish Retail Consortium branded it “a fundraising exercise which is illogical and discriminatory”.