Clive Sneddon calls for Tesco rethink

Dundee East Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson Dr Clive Sneddon has strongly criticised the attitude of Tesco management to Dundee, and welcomed the efforts being made by the Dundee City Council Administration to secure a rethink of Tesco's decision to close its distribution depot in Dundee.

Clive said today (21st March 2006), "By saying that some of the questions asked at yesterday's meeting with representatives of the Dundee Administration were 'too detailed', Tesco management have demonstrated that they have not done their homework, this is completely unacceptable when people's livelihoods are at stake.

"As the party seeking in Ming Campbell's words 'a greener, fairer, decentralised and democratic Britain', the Liberal Democrats believe that the particular business model pursued by Tesco is unacceptable. It results in a concentration of market power which the Office of Fair Trade has identified as an issue for a full Competition Commission enquiry to investigate.

"A more devolved supply chain would help Scottish farmers and small businesses, while retaining regional distribution centres. This would make it easier to deliver fresh food to stores, and reduce the carbon consumed to deliver it to the customer. Tesco should be prepared to enter into serious dialogue with the Council on this basis," concluded Clive.