Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Labour gets boost from Iceland boss Richard Walker

Labour gets boost from Iceland boss Richard Walker
Keir Starmer (L) with Richard Walker (R) during a visit to an Iceland store in northwest England on 29 January 2023 (Photo: @Keir_Starmer/X)

Labour leader Keir Starmer received a boost on Monday when a former donor to the governing Conservatives said he was switching sides to back the opposition party because it was the "right choice" for communities his supermarket chain serves.

Richard Walker, executive chairman of the UK's 10th largest food retailer Iceland, who quit the Conservative Party in October, wrote in The Guardian newspaper that Labour and Starmer were best for a population suffering cost-of-living pressures.


Labour has been courting companies before an election later this year, winning support from a growing number of investors, executives and bankers who say the Conservatives have lost their traditional stance as the party of business.

"After a lot of soul-searching, I am now clear in my own mind that Labour is the right choice for the communities across the country where Iceland operates – and the right choice for everyone in business who wants to see this country grow and prosper," said Walker, whose chain often serves poorer regions.

"Having met the man, I am sure that Starmer has exactly what it takes to be a great leader," added Walker, who once tried to run as a Conservative lawmaker.

"He absolutely gets it when I talk to him about the way that the cost of living crisis has put unbearable strain on the finances of so many of my customers and their families."

Labour is urging supporters to help boost its coffers after the Conservatives received from donors almost three times as much as the opposition party in three months to September last year, according to latest funding data.

Starmer, who now describes Labour as the party of business, was delighted at Walker's decision. "With Labour, shoppers and shop workers will get a fair deal," he said in a statement.

More for you

Coca-Cola reports strong Q4 and full-year 2024 results

Coca-Cola plant in Whitestown, Indiana, US. The beverage giant reported strong Q4 and full-year 2024 results

Coca-Cola reports strong Q4 and full-year 2024 results, driven by pricing and volume growth

The Coca-Cola Company on Tuesday announced robust fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 results, demonstrating the effectiveness of its “all-weather strategy” amidst a dynamic global landscape.

The beverage giant reported a 6 per cent increase in net revenues for the fourth quarter, reaching $11.5 billion (£9.24bn), while organic revenues surged by an impressive 14 per cent. For the full year, net revenues grew 3 per cent to $47.1bn, with organic revenue up 12 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heineken Sales

Heineken 2024 sales see slight decline

Photo: iStock

Heineken's 2024 sales see slight decline despite volume growth

Dutch brewer Heineken on Wednesday reported a slight dip in sales for last year, mainly due to currency fluctuations, although overall beer volumes increased.

The world's second biggest brewer after AB InBev said revenue in 2024 came in at €36 billion (£30bn), compared to the €36.4bn it made the year before.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retailers are set to face a "perfect storm of additional costs".300,000 Jobs at Risk

Retailers are set to face a "perfect storm of additional costs".

Getty Images (Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images)

Retailers warn Chancellor of high street crisis ahead

Retailers are set to face a "perfect storm of additional costs" as 300,000 jobs will go by 2028 due to the implication of recent budget, retailers have warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Under a new body Retail Jobs Alliance (RJA), seven of Britain’s biggest retail chains have united to Reeves that her tax hikes will lead to even more devastating High Street closures and job losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
​New Co-op report reveals in disparity in apprenticeship scheme by small business

New Co-op report reveals in disparity in apprentices

iStock image

Small businesses lag in offering apprenticeships

Small businesses are "18 times less likely" to offer an apprenticeship scheme as compared to large businesses, a recent report has claimed, adding that some small businesses are not taking proactive steps to recruit apprentices from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Co-op in a report released on Monday (10) points out how more than a third (38 per cent) of school leavers face a lack of apprenticeship opportunities in their local area.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail sales in January 2025

Retail sales in January 2025

iStock image

Retail sales surge in January despite stormy weather

January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, shows industry report released today (11).

According to retail body British Retail Consortium (BRC), UK total retail sales increased by 2.6 per cent year on year in January, against a growth of 1.2 per cent in January 2024. This was above the 3-month average growth of 1.1 per cent and above the 12-month average growth of 0.8 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less