Words from Iceland's boss as he resigns from Tory party ....

Richard Walker, Iceland's CEO, may well have more contact with 'ordinary people' than many Tory MPs and party workers. Iceland seemed to be on the ball as Lockdown started, and have been very supportive of pensioners in the cost of living crisis. Either he really listens to his staff, or he has good links himself across socio-economic groups.

I think too that he was thinking as standing as an M.P. and was a considerable donor , He has resigned from the party.

Phones4U and Carpetright bosses have close their chequebooks to the Tory party. Also there is a HoL Tory peer, who is holding back further donations, saying that the Tory party needs a period in opposition.

I don’t know what they’re conserving either and he’s knocked the nail right on the head.

its my understanding that he wanted to be a conservative MP but couldn't find a constituency that would have him

greenlady102

its my understanding that he wanted to be a conservative MP but couldn't find a constituency that would have him

Ha!

Walker's opinion piece in today's Guardian/ Observer explains:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/01/as-a-business-leader-i-can-no-longer-support-the-tory-party

Extract:

While my views on ... issues seem to resonate with people in the real world, it was made very clear to me that they did not find favour with those at the top of the Conservative party – and that if I wanted to progress as a parliamentary candidate, I would need to adjust my principles and values.

But I was never prepared to wear a gag to bag a seat – and 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. It is plain that the prime minister has no real interest in green issues and his recent row-back on carbon reduction deadlines was, as Lord (Zac) Goldsmith observed, “cynical beyond belief” and a desperate attempt to “turn the environment into a US-style political wedge issue”.

Net Zero in the timescale given is unachievable. I don't think he – or our politicians – have thought sufficiently about it. Pushing it too fast – without proper costing and the testing of new and necessary technologies – would certainly be deleterious to the future prosperity of our kids and grandkids.

Otherwise, I think he's making good points.

I think the points are good.

But I also recognise that Net Zero in the timescale that has been proposed is difficult too achieve - however we will not increase the chances of achieving this by reining back on existing plans.

I agree with Baggs, net zero will affect ordinary people so overwhelmingly that it needs to be properly thought through and delivered as and when ordinary, everyday people, and that includes the poor, can actually afford it. Which in a cost of living crisis, they can’t!

You do not resign from a political party just because you cannot find a seat. He was committed enough to donate substantial sums of money.

However, if someone in the public eye does leave a party in such a way, you know that the party they leave will do their best to rubbish them and diminish their contribution to its funds.

Given that the typical conservative supporter is older and therfore will have children and grandchildren who will suffer if global zero is not every countries' aim, rowing back on it seems a perverse and retrograde step.

In fact as someone who probably is the kind of voter they want to attract, every policy announcement they have made recently (except for just one parking app) has made me less and less likely to vote for them (not that I was likely to anyway, I never have in the past)

The government itself set the net zero targets in the first place, so it begs the question why did they ever set implementation plans that they knew were unachievable - or was it just that they hadn’t done their homework so didn’t know they were unachievable, which is worrying.

They were, could be achievable, had the government the will to invest money in the projects.

On a personal note I received an email from Richard Walker recently. I live opposite Iceland and their air conditioning unit was faulty, roaring like a demented beast 24/7. The store manager listened to my complaint and kept me posted about progress. I contacted Iceland to commend the manager but didn't expect, or need, to hear further. That Richard Walker bothered to thank me for doing so left me impressed.

Good to hear, Mizuna. It’s always nice to hear of companies or organisations which provide an excellent service. I commented on BT on another thread because they had good call centre service.

Walker is always impressive when he appears on Question Time. He's a loss to the Tories though I'm not surprised if they wouldn't adopt him as a candidate for MP - he thinks for himself too much and understands the problems facing UK businesses.

Conserving their money!!!

Casdon

The government itself set the net zero targets in the first place, so it begs the question why did they ever set implementation plans that they knew were unachievable - or was it just that they hadn’t done their homework so didn’t know they were unachievable, which is worrying.

I've wondered that often myself, Casdon. I really think they or their spads hadn't done their homework properly. Won't be the first time, says she, thinking of HS2.

There are a lot of engineering projects going on globally at the experimental level but so far they have not been shown to be affordable on a day-to-day basis. I think we (humanity) will get there but not in the next decade or two.

It's interesting that China and the US have not put a timeline on their plans. I think that's because they aren't prepared to impoverish their people. And also, possibly, don't think that climate change is an actually immediate crisis even if it is something we need to deal with in the longer term.

I also think the UK government has cheated. Running down UK steel production, for example, so that we now have to buy at least half of what we need from elsewhere (China) may mean that the UK's emmissions have gone down but it hasn't made a scrap of dfference globally.

Luckygirl3

"Today's reality is that we have a nominally Conservative government, yet I struggle to name a single thing they are actually conserving.

"Certainly not the business sector or our economy, the vitality of our high streets or the safety of my retail colleagues, our farming and rural communities, our rivers and seas, our net zero obligations, our NHS, our schools, our reputation for decency and fairness, or the future prosperity of our kids and grandkids."

Couldn't have put it better myself ....

I heard him on the radio and my thoughts were exactly the same as yours, Luckygirl.

👏👏👏 Well said!

Well, these people have been happy to support Conservative governments in the past that still have pretty much the same sort of policies albeit being rather more successful economically than the current one. So I’m cynically thinking that they now realise they’re on the wrong side of history; or at least they will be in a year or so’s time

I agree with what you are saying Baggs. We do need to achieve net zero, but the timescale was always unrealistic. We also shouldn’t be achieving it by cheating, which is essentially what we are doing by stopping production of steel, gas, oil, in the UK but then buying it in from abroad. Whichever way you look at it, that’s cheating!

Baggs

Net Zero in the timescale given is unachievable. I don't think he – or our politicians – have thought sufficiently about it. Pushing it too fast – without proper costing and the testing of new and necessary technologies – would certainly be deleterious to the future prosperity of our kids and grandkids.

Otherwise, I think he's making good points.

If we don't push ahead with trying to achieve net zero within the timescale there won't be much left for your children and grandchildren to look forward to.

I've just finished reading the Second Sleep by Robert Harris which is set about 1000 years into the future, following an apocalypse in, I think, 2025. Harris just gives ideas as to why it happens, including collapse of technology, without which we would be lost. it's a good read.