Tescowatch (an occasional series)

Tesco want to build a new store in Sheringham, in Norfolk. The residents of Sheringham don’t want it.

Campaigners fighting a decade-long battle against the arrival of a planned Tesco superstore claim they have been sabotaged by “dirty tricks” involving the fabrication of letters of support.

.. Ater becoming suspicious at what appeared to be a sudden groundswell of support for Tesco, campaigners began investigating the letters and asked residents and postmen whether they knew the correspondents.

No one did and publicly available electoral and phone records for the streets on which they claimed to live indicate that the pro-Tesco letter writers do not, actually, exist.

More at the Independent.

Tescowatch (an occasional series)

George Monbiot writes in today’s Guardian.

I have been writing about it for years. But it’s only now, when I’m caught in the middle of it, that the full force of this injustice hits me. Like everyone else here I feel powerless, unstrung as I watch disaster unfolding in slow motion.

There’s a similar battle going on in Bedminster, about 3 miles from where we live. And Tesco will win. They always win.

Tescowatch (an occasional series)

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has tabled a resultion at Tesco’s forthcoming AGM; he duly obtained the statutory support of 100 shareholders and tabled the resolution before the final deadline on 16 May.

“[This resolution]. would force it to adopt RSPCA standards or renounce its claim to allow its birds a life free of pain. The motion was tabled before a final deadline.”

Tesco, a company not famed for taking such things lying down, has decided that HF-W must pay them £86,888 for the cost of sending this resolution out to its 235,000 shareholders. Interesting that this year they sent out the AGM papers out 2 weeks earlier than last year; *and* his resolution was in in time.

For what it’s worth, I think Tesco – much as I loathe them – are quite entitled to sell chickens that are raised in appalling, yet legal, conditions, to people who don’t want to spend money on better quality food. The fault here is not, I don’t think, with Tesco, but with DEFRA (gosh, really?) and consumers.

But this tactic of theirs with regard to a legitimate shareholder’s legitimate concerns is really not impressive.

More from the Independent.