In (left-wing) praise of Tesco

It says something about the anti-capitalist madness of today’s Labour Party (it’s as if Margaret Thatcher never existed) that this brilliant article in left-wing praise of Tesco appears under a pseudonym, The Progressive:

Why should middle-class socialists be so virulently opposed to Tesco? Surely few Labour members really want a return to the dominance of the independent retailer on the high street, with supercilious staff, overpriced goods and stores closing at lunchtime, Sundays and a half-day on Tuesdays. Tesco and competitors create jobs in depressed areas. Usdaw, the Labour-affiliated shopworkers’ union, has the biggest private sector union agreement in place with Tesco. Usdaw states that Tesco ‘offers some of the best terms and conditions (including pay) for its staff.’

It is not just the workers who benefit when Tesco invests in a neighbourhood. Through rigorous competition, the supermarkets are constantly keeping their prices low and offering cheap deals to their customers.

Tesco is a well-managed company that produces goods and services that people want at prices they can afford. Labour should be asking Tesco to help run our schools, hospitals and criminal justice system, not supporting conservative campaigns (or even riots in Bristol last month) against new shops.

One of my correspondents on Twitter asked: “What about Tesco not paying tax?” I refer her to this grudging and incomplete correction in The Guardian to a report claiming that the company had avoided “up to £1bn” in tax three years ago:

The figure of “up to £1bn” – calculated as the amount which could have been saved on the disposal of £5bn of property – is wrong. The loss to the exchequer is likely to be nearer the region of £90m-£100m.

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