Iceland Boss Richard Walker Quits ‘Out of Touch’ Tories

THE TELEGRAPH: Supermarket chief says he can’t support a party that has lost its way on net zero

The boss of supermarket chain Iceland has quit the Conservative Party, criticising it for being “badly out of touch”.

Richard Walker, who had been trying to stand as a Conservative MP, announced that he had “now reached the end of the road” with the Tories, citing the party’s approach to net zero.

Mr Walker had been on the approved candidate list for the Conservatives, but said he was “never prepared to wear a gag to bag a seat”.

Writing for The Guardian, the businessman said: “It has become increasingly difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Conservative Party has drifted badly out of touch.

“I am certainly not willing to make compromises with a party which has clearly lost its way on its approach to net zero and the environment in particular. » | Genevieve Holl-Allen | Sunday, October 1, 2023