Asda chairman Stuart Rose has berated Boris Johnson over the government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis.
The supermarket boss and House of Lords member offered scathing remarks saying Johnson has gone on “shore leave” while Britain hurtles towards an “inevitable” recession.
Lord Rose accused the government of being “very, very slow in recognising this train coming down the tunnel,” as he called for more support for hard-hit families.
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“We’ve got to have some action,” the Asda boss told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “The captain of the ship is on shore leave, right – nobody’s in charge at the moment.”
Analysis from Citizens Advice shows one in four Britons (24%) won’t be able to afford to pay their energy bills in October – pushing 13 million into debt.
Lord Rose added: “What bothers me a little bit about the leadership election is that everybody is throwing money at everything, and we can’t afford everything and we do need to go back to basic common-sense economics,” he said.
"I don't believe you can grow your way out of inflation"
Lord Rose, Chairman of ASDA, tells @JustinOnWeb the government must 'kill inflation' before focusing on economic growth. https://t.co/UTmmDpWHD2 | #R4Today pic.twitter.com/I3ovrm8MjH
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) August 17, 2022
The Tory peer said a recession was “inevitable” and argued that it was vital to “look after those people who can’t take the hit.”
His comments come as inflation reached a 40-year high of 10.1%, piling on the pressure for families struggling with soaring energy bills and food prices.
