Can Labour afford a battle with Boots?

Is Labour wise to go to war with the head of Boots for warning that a Miliband government would be a ‘catastrophe’ for Britain? The party, which has spent considerable effort trying to persuade business that it is friendly after all, seems to be reversing over that hard work by turning on Stefano Pessina in the way it has. Pessina’s company says his remarks were taken out of context, but Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna said voters would ‘draw their own conclusions when those who don’t live here, don’t pay tax in this country and lead firms that reportedly avoid making a fair contribution in what they pay purport to know what is in Britain’s best interests’.

It is significant that it is Umunna who is leading the charge against Pessina, as he has naturally been the Shadow Cabinet minister tasked with improving his party’s relations with the business community.