On CentreRight.com yesterday Mark Field MP penned a defence of supermarkets but many Conservatives worry at their impact on smaller shops. According to Telegraph.co.uk, "London is estimated to have lost more than 7,000 small shops because of supermarket competition, high rents and parking fees." David Cameron has strongly supported the London Evening Standard's Save Our Small Shops campaign.
ConservativeHome covered Zac Goldsmith's campaign against the decision of Sainsbury's to locate a store in White Hart Lane, Barnes. The ballot organised by Mr Goldsmith went strongly against Sainsbury's but thanks to national planning authorities Sainsbury's is going ahead with its new store.
Mr Goldsmith told Friction TV:
"What Sainsbury's has done is totally unethical. It has misled us, wasted our time and put two fingers up at the community... This is yet another example of a big multiple using perverse planning laws to force itself on an unwilling community... This is a local issue, but it's also national. We have bent over backwards to make it easier for them to back off. Now we will take this as far as we need to."
He has now called for the "most successful ever boycott" against Sainsbury's.
12.45pm, 29th May: Zac Goldsmith tells Friction TV why we should boycott Sainsbury's