Facebook Pixel No chilling effect | The Guardian - newspaper - Lees dit verhaal op Magzter.com

Poging GOUD - Vrij

No chilling effect

The Guardian

|

February 18, 2025

Watchdog chief embraces new focus on growth

- John Collingridge

No chilling effect

Signs by the lifts in the Competition and Markets Authority's Canary Wharf headquarters remind staff not to talk about their work in public, given the billions of pounds resting on its decisions. But a very public debate is taking place about how the watchdog works and is run, with the government determined to make an example of it.

In October, the prime minister rebuked regulators in front of global business leaders for "needlessly holding back the investment we need to take our country forward". In January, they were hauled in to No 10 to explain how they would support the government's growth ambitions. Then days later the government defenestrated the CMA's chair Marcus Bokkerink, replacing him with the former head of Amazon in the UK, Doug Gurr.

Two and a bit years since she became chief executive of the watchdog, Sarah Cardell and her organisation are under scrutiny like never before. Britain's chief trustbuster is sitting in a meeting room at the CMA's head office after a whirlwind morning of broadcast interviews about its latest intervention, this time in the market for baby milk formula.

It demanded changes such as standardised packaging in hospitals and allowing shoppers to use loyalty cards to buy formula milk - changes that it said could help parents save £300 a year by switching to lower priced brands.

It is an illustration of the breadth of responsibility the watchdog has: from trying to police the tech juggernauts of Silicon Valley, to intervening in the price of baby milk. "This job is for me a particularly unique opportunity to really deliver a tangible impact for people. We can be talking about tech and then we can talk about baby formula," says Cardell. "It's a market that really, really matters for parents."

MEER VERHALEN VAN The Guardian

The Guardian

Prosecutors seek prison for son of Norwegian crown princess

Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s crown princess, should receive more than seven years in prison if he is found guilty of 39 offences, including four rapes and assaults, according to prosecutors.

time to read

1 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

Hormuz UK says it remains in talks with allies but strait still too volatile to escort shipping

Britain has said it is still involved in discussions with the US and European allies over escorting merchant shipping through the strait of Hormuz, but that the situation remains too dangerous for it to happen soon.

time to read

2 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

The Guardian

Reform MP may have broken rules by filming paid-for clips in Westminster

The Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has used his parliamentary office to record paid-for personalised messaging videos, in a possible breach of rules that prohibit the commercial use of the Palace of Westminster.

time to read

2 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

The Guardian

Charity buys Wordsworth’s Lake District home and vows to keep it open to the public

It was the family home where William Wordsworth lived as poet laureate, hosted Tennyson and worked on his epic autobiographical poem, The Prelude.

time to read

2 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

Greens Leader says society at heart of economic plans

A Green party government would not set targets for GDP growth and would instead focus on mental health, social cohesion and community welfare, Zack Polanski has said in a major speech on the economy.

time to read

2 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

Draper adds another string to his bow

The British No 1has changed his racket and rebuilt his serve-and reaped the rewards to beat Djokovic

time to read

3 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

Dowmarn’s dad gets Fifa agent licence to run son's career

Max Dowman’s father and brother have obtained Fifa agent licences with the family intent on managing his career for the foreseeable future.

time to read

1 min

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

World Service will receive funding boost to fight rise of disinformation

The BBC World Service will receive more funding under a deal that ministers hope will help counter the rise of global disinformation.

time to read

2 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

The Guardian

Billionaire pardoned by Trump hosts 'anti-woke' in Westminster

A British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate money-laundering controls on his cryptocurrency business is funding a political base in the heart of Westminster used by \"anti-woke\" and rightwing activists.

time to read

10 mins

March 19, 2026

The Guardian

The Guardian

China Beijing waits to see how war will affect US relations as Trump visit is postponed

The White House said yesterday that China had agreed to postpone Donald Trump's visit to Beijing as the war in the Middle East rages on.

time to read

2 mins

March 19, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size