'Don’t make it harder' for grocery sector, pleads Tesco chief ahead of Budget

THE boss of Tesco has made a plea to the UK Government to not “make it harder” for the grocery sector to keep prices low for customers ahead of the autumn Budget, despite revealing profits could surpass £3bn this year.

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Households budgets remain squeezed and shoppers are increasingly seeking out value, according to the UK’s biggest supermarket.

Ken Murphy, Tesco's chief executive, said he was hoping the autumn Budget would not put additional pressure on grocers that are already facing much steeper business costs.

“What we'd love to see is a Budget that’s pro-growth and pro-jobs, which, as a result, will help customers with the cost of living,” Mr Murphy said.

“We know that people are worried about what lies ahead and we're seeing that in the consumer sentiment.