A Tory businessman and adviser to David Cameron has attacked Conservative proposals to force out-of-town shoppers to pay car parking charges. The Daily Telegraph

Simon Wolfson, the chief executive of Next and co-author of the Conservative Party’s report on economic competitiveness, attacked the plans, which form part of the quality-of-life policy review, written by former minister John Gummer and environmental activist Zac Goldsmith. ‘

It is very unfair to impose taxes people were not expecting. If you have made an investment under a current tax system, it is wrong to change that,’ said Wolfson, a significant donor to the Conservative Party who backed Cameron’s leadership campaign with a £10,000 donation.

The British Retail Consortium also criticised the proposals. A spokesman said: ‘There seems to be a presumption that everyone lives in town centres close to a high street and that getting to an out-of-town retail centre involves a long drive.’