The government has rejected suggestions it has underestimated business rate rises by 5-7% in a private letter sent to Conservative MPs, as criticism mounted of its calculations. In an email to Tory MPs, Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, and David Gauke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said there had been “a relentless campaign of distortions and half-truths” about a business rate revaluation and said most firms would not see a rise.
However, ratings agency Gerald Eve and the Liberal Democrats, which have done separate analyses, say the figures have been underestimated. They say they do not take into account inflation