The Co-op Group, Britain’s biggest mutual, is to hold a crunch board meeting next week amid pressure to follow rival supermarkets’ example and repay £80m of state funding handed to it during the pandemic. Sky News has learnt that directors of the groceries-to-funeralcare provider – headed by chairman Allan Leighton – will meet next Tuesday to debate whether to repay the funding it received in the form of business rates relief and furlough payments. People close to the situation said the Co-op’s boardroom had seen “robust dialogue” over the issue, with some directors keen to repay the funding in full. Although the board is not yet technically split on the question of handing the money back because a vote has yet to take place, sources said “deep divisions” were expected to be exposed next week. The decision is expected to be made public in the group’s annual results announcement early next month. Advertisement The issue has become an acute one for the mutual, which prides itself on its positioning as an ethical champion. One insider said the Co-op board would be under “enormous pressure” if it decided to keep part or all of the £80m in state funding while paying… Read full this story
- Reporting "Fraud" Massachusetts State Revolving Funds
- Overlapping regulations the key issue facing SOE performances
- Coronavirus forces IMF, World Bank switch to virtual Spring Meetings
- IMF, World Bank switch to virtual spring meetings due to coronavirus
- Overlapped regulations key issue to SOE performances: State capital commission
- East Baton Rouge schools facing budget crunch even as teacher group demands a pay raise
- EBR School Board members going along with out-of-balance school budget, but push for future cuts
- Shadow banks in India face their biggest funding test yet
- Woodlands board OKs interim tax rate for incorporation
- INTERVIEW | Real estate companies are facing problems in getting loans: Harshavardhan Neotia
Co-op Group faces crunch board meeting over £80m state funding repayment have 301 words, post on news.sky.com at March 4, 2021. This is cached page on Europe Breaking News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.