With entrepreneurs fleeing in droves, the Tories risk no longer being the party of business

Writing from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Andrew Grice says that business leaders may be leading the charge on abandoning the Tories and embracing Labour

Richard Walker, executive chair of the Iceland supermarket chain, has quit the party with a blistering attack (GMB/ITV)

Are the Conservatives losing the confidence of business? There are growing signs of it. Richard Walker, executive chair of the Iceland supermarket chain, has quit the party with a blistering attack, accusing them of being “out of touch” in the cost of living crisis, “flip-flopping” on net zero and HS2 and not living up to their name because they are “not conserving anything”.

Walker tried to become a Tory parliamentary candidate but did not find a seat. He accused the party of wanting to muzzle him and telling him not to trumpet Iceland’s pledge to go net zero by 2040. Tory sources insist his criticism of the party is well known. A good communicator, Walker would have been an asset for the Tories. I think it’s a pity that party politics is so addicted to discipline and being on message that it can’t find a place for someone like him.