// Iceland MD Richard Walked has dismissed claims he will step down from his role if elected MP
// Walker, who made a bid in October, said it was “important politics has people that aren’t just inside the Westminster bubble”.
Iceland boss Richard Walker has dismissed claims he will step down from his role if elected as an MP.
The executive chairman, who it emerged was making a bid to become MP back in October, said the claims were “laughable” arguing that “plenty of MPs have second jobs”.
The Conservative parliamentary candidate told This is Money: “I think it is important that people know what the outside world is like – what it is like to pay the wages on a Friday.
“I’ll give it my all – but with regards to Iceland, nothing changes.”
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He added it was “important politics has people that aren’t just inside the Westminster bubble”.
Walker said the supermarket chain has provided him with an “interesting barometer of Britain” from its customer base and wants to step up his activism by joining the backbench.
“I want to be a player – not a commentator,” he added.
Falling energy bills
Iceland has been battling with soaring energy prices and shelved plans to open new stores after £20m was added to its energy bill last year.
However, Walker revealed that he expects its energy bills to reduce this year.
He told the newspaper: “We expect our fuel bill to be less this year. The price of energy is still uncomfortably high, and much higher than it was before Ukraine, but at least now we can plan.
Earlier this month, the supermarket chain said it was making a number of changes in an effort to reduce its energy bills.
“We’re looking at being as energy efficient as possible,” Walker said.
“We’re reducing the number of chilled products in our shops and including more on-shelf food such as tins and packets.”
The supermarket chain is also installing solar panels on the roofs of its shops and depots to become more energy efficient.
Iceland joins a number of other retailers including John Lewis, The Co-op and Waitrose who have made several measures to tackle rising energy costs.
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