John Swinney under further pressure over his ‘arrogant’ price cap plans

John Swinney is facing mounting opposition to his plan to force Scottish supermarkets to cap prices on a range of essential food items, after industry body Scotland Food and Drink became the latest organisation to warn of damaging "unintended consequences". The First Minister is expected to give further details of the policy in his programme for government when the Scottish Parliament returns from recess next month, but retailers and food producers argue it could harm supply chains and undermine business competitiveness at a time when the sector is already under pressure.

Scotland Food and Drink, which represents 450 firms, said policies to cut costs for consumers must not damage producers and manufacturers, while the Scottish Retail Consortium has written to Swinney urging him to scrap the plan entirely. The proposal would see price ceilings imposed on 20 to 50 items including milk, bread, eggs and chicken. Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale warned a cap could force stores to sell at a loss and recoup costs elsewhere, while Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy branded it a "bonkers" and "1970s-style gimmick" designed to grab election-period headlines.