Supermarket price caps would amount to ‘state control’, says ex-Asda boss

PoliticsBusiness & Finance
20 May 2026 • 4:56 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Supermarket price caps would amount to ‘state control’, says ex-Asda boss

  • Lord Stuart Rose, a former Asda boss and member of the Lords, has criticised reported government plans for price caps on essential groceries, labelling them "idiotic" and "unworkable".
  • He warned that such measures would "backfire" on the government and suggested they smacked of "state control".
  • Reports indicate the Treasury is urging supermarkets to limit food price increases, fearing the Iran war will exacerbate the cost of living crisis for households.
  • Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson has denied the government is considering imposing price caps, stating they are exploring alternative ways to support households.
  • New ONS data shows CPI inflation dropped to 2.8 per cent, though experts anticipate this progress will likely be halted by the ongoing conflict in Iran.

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