Tesco nears crucial update as Iran war threatens food inflation April 15, 2026 As the bosses of the country’s biggest supermarkets crowded into the chancellor’s office earlier this month, no voice will have been as loud as that of Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco. Rachel Reeves summoned grocery executives to discuss how the Iran war will impact Brits’ weekly shops, and Tesco’s results tomorrow will pull back [...]
The government is about to find out you can’t please the people and the bond markets April 14, 2026 In the next phase of the Iran crisis, investors will demand fiscal discipline; electorates will demand intervention. In a supply-driven stagflationary environment, it may be impossible to satisfy both, says Helen Thomas A severe physical supply shock is rippling through the global economy and unlike recent crises, this is not one policymakers can easily offset. [...]
Iceland boss offers job to Waitrose worker who tackled shoplifter April 7, 2026 The boss of Iceland has offered a job to a man who was sacked by Waitrose after he prevented a shoplifter from attempting to steal luxury Easter eggs. Richard Walker, boss of the budget supermarket chain, posted on LinkedIn telling Walker Smith, the shop assistant sacked by Waitrose: “You’re welcome to a job with us. [...]
Tories urge Waitrose to re-hire worker who tackled shoplifter – and give him a bonus April 6, 2026 Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has urged the boss of Waitrose to re-hire Walker Smith, who tackled a shoplifter in south London attempting to steal luxury Easter eggs. Waitrose shop assistant Walker Smith was sacked by the supermarket after tackling a shoplifter, whom Smith recognised as a repeat offender. Philp wrote to Denyard, the managing [...]
M&S boss: Sadiq Khan is soft on crime April 3, 2026 Marks and Spencer has hit out at the Mayor of London for being soft on crime, after crowds of young people have targeted London shops in the past week. Thinus Keeve, the supermarket’s retail director, has called on Sadiq Khan to crack down on violent disorder against retailers, after a Marks and Spencer (M&S) shop [...]
Supermarket bosses meet Rachel Reeves amid dire food inflation warning April 1, 2026 The bosses of some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets met Chancellor Rachel Reeves in emergency cost of living talks on Wednesday, amid warnings that food inflation could rise to double digits this year. Leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons attended Downing Street after efforts to gather industry bosses last week were abandoned amid concerns [...]
Reeves summons supermarket bosses again after snub March 31, 2026 Rachel Reeves has summoned supermarket bosses for a Downing Street meeting on Wednesday after being snubbed last week. The new meeting will be attended by executives at Sainsbury’s and Tesco but bosses at Asda, Aldi and John Lewis will miss out, supposedly due to diary clashes. The Chancellor hastily invited grocery executives to a meeting [...]
Reeves and Miliband to call on G7 to follow UK’s energy lead March 29, 2026 Rachel Reeves is set to call on fellow G7 nations to follow the UK’s lead in the transition to renewable and nuclear power as the unfolding energy crisis ripples through global economies. The Chancellor is expected to urge G7 partners to commit to long-term energy security as she meets fellow finance ministers, energy ministers and [...]
Reeves’ energy bill crackdown prompts industry backlash March 28, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ push to crack down on “profiteering” among retailers has led to backlash across industry as suppliers are warning of shortages on the horizon. Reeves has been warned by industry bosses that the focus on profiteering lacked justification and was part of a political ploy ahead of crucial elections in May. Asda boss [...]
Government can’t fix the jobs crisis alone – employers must step in March 25, 2026 It is companies, not ministers who do the most to create meaningful work. Let’s get to it, says Octavius Black One of Europe’s most successful fintechs has given its employees unlimited access to AI with a simple instruction: build tools that will multiply your productivity by a factor of ten. The results are highly personalised [...]