Penny drops for the Express as ex-Sainsbury’s CEO blames Brexit for rising food prices

The Daily Express got a rude awakening this week after the former CEO of Sainsbury’s told Sky News that Brexit is to blame for the cost-of-living crisis.

Justin King, who has also been director of food at Marks and Spencer and involved with both Mars and Pepsi-Cola, appeared on the news broadcaster on Monday to discuss the worsening situation.

It comes as people living in the UK face the biggest drop in living standards in decades.

Inflation could reach up to 10 per cent by the end of the year, energy bill increases are hitting consumers hard and other daily expenditure is not immune either – with council tax and transport costs on the up too.

In last week’s Queen’s Speech (above), the UK Government announced no new measures to support those suffering most from the cost-of-living crisis.

Boris Johnson argued the price rises are being seen around the world, saying in a written introduction to the legislative agenda: “No country is immune and no government can realistically shield everyone from the impact.”

Brexit

Asked on Sky News what is causing food prices to go up so quickly, businessman King told viewers: “I mean the current pressures started with Brexit.

“You’re talking about the Prime Minister going to Northern Ireland today, the problems at the border in the Irish Sea, of course, are the reality in good part in the border with many of our trading partners.

“Well in excess of 40 per cent of our food comes from Europe, so it started with Brexit.”

He added that Covid had made the situation worse, while the war in Ukraine is also having an impact on certain items.

“One can obviously see that that will be long lasting and significant in its impact,” he went on.

Express

Reporting the news, the Daily Express – an avid backer of Brexit – was forced to admit that the EU exit might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

The paper has previously celebrated how it was the publication to “secure Brexit” with a “trailblazing 28-year EU crusade.”

Their readers must be so grateful.

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.