Top supermarket boss accuses Labour of constraining' British businesses

"Politics and government have a much bigger impact on what happens today than they did, he told the Retail Week x The Grocer conference this week. You know, I think in that period of time, most of government was pretty business-friendly, and over a period of time that's got, I think, more and more difficult."

"Labour is not doing enough to support business and has become more and more difficult to deal with, Asda's chief has warned. Allan Leighton, who has been chair of the supermarket since 2024 but was also chief executive in the late 1990s, said Labour used to go out of their way to try and engage with business when he was last running the company but were now less helpful."

Allan Leighton, chair of Asda supermarket since 2024 and former chief executive in the late 1990s, has criticized the Labour government for insufficient business support. He contrasts the current administration unfavorably with previous governments that actively engaged with businesses. Leighton states that Westminster decisions now have greater negative impacts on companies, with businesses forced to address problems created by government policies. He notes that political and governmental influence on business operations has increased significantly over time, with the environment becoming progressively less business-friendly. His comments reflect broader concerns among supermarket executives regarding government approach to the retail sector.

Read at www.independent.co.uk