‘I’m becoming a Labour peer to bring some high-street realism to Westminster by amplifying the voices of our shoppers,’ Iceland boss Richard Walker writes
Chat to shoppers in any town and they will tell you that the cost of living is a worry.
It is an issue that has long been close to my heart. From campaigning to change the law to make infant formula more affordable for new parents to helping families avoid loan sharks.
Last year, I travelled the length and breadth of the country listening to some of our 30,000 amazing Iceland colleagues and five million weekly customers. We summarised our findings in the ‘Iceland Manifesto’, which we published just before last year’s election.
We found that people felt unrepresented by politicians and were struggling with the affordability of pretty much everything – from childcare and vet bills, to heating and eating. Those concerns haven’t gone away and there is much to be done. The cost of living remains the number one concern in people’s daily lives.
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Now I’m becoming a Labour peer for one reason – to bring some high-street realism to Westminster by amplifying the voices of business and the communities we serve throughout the UK. I have always been in awe of the level of expertise in the House of Lords and the quality of its debates.
So, it’s a proud moment to be asked to contribute what I have learned as a retailer and entrepreneur. I hope to make a distinctive contribution, drawing on my experience heading a family business on which many thousands rely for employment and to which millions look for affordable, quality food.
I understand the challenges that businesses face in paying the wages each week, and the pressures on families as they seek to put decent meals on the table every day. As an entrepreneur, I also understand what motivates those prepared to risk everything on an idea.
This Labour Government has made economic growth its number one mission and has pledged to clear away the barriers that restrain it. Ultimately, that growth can only be delivered by private enterprise – which requires the confidence to invest and a stable, business-friendly regulatory and tax framework in which to operate.
I have never believed that Westminster has all the answers. But I do believe that it works better when people with skin in the game step up and speak plainly. In my new role, I will stay true to that.