Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy has reportedly attacked the plans to establish a supermarket ombudsman to oversee dealings between retailers and suppliers.
The boss of the UK’s largest retailer has argued that a watchdog would benefit suppliers rather than consumers.
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The UK government announced that it would establish an ombudsman last month after the Office of Fair Trading found that supermarket operators were squeezing suppliers.
“In a free society, why would you want an ombudsman if there are no problems now as far as consumers are concerned? An ombudsman would be there to protect suppliers but should be there to protect consumers,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times.
The Government said last month it would appoint an ombudsman after complaints that supermarkets were squeezing suppliers.
However, retailers have repeatedly argued that such a move will ultimately come at a cost to the consumer.
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