𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have both made accusations of “price gouging” in recent weeks. But the supermarket chief rejected accusations that petrol sellers are profiteering from higher prices.

Mr Leighton said: “The Government strategy is called ‘point a finger at somebody else’. That is their strategy.

“They’ve got zero credibility on all this price gouging and everything else. It is time they stepped up and actually started to do things that were positive, rather than trying to camouflage, by pointing fingers at people.’

He insisted the Government was cashing in “off the back of this” due to fuel duty.

He added: “And they’ve got the gall to point the finger at everybody else.”

It comes as the price of petrol jumped above 150p per litre for the first time in almost two years.

The average price has risen by more than 17p a litre since the end of February to 150.11p, according to fresh RAC data.

Earlier this week, Ms Reeves announced that the Competition and Markets Authority is being given new powers to clamp down on price gouging through an anti-profiteering framework.

It came after the PM said he was looking at giving the competition watchdog “further teeth” and that the Government needs to “bear down” on “price gouging”.

The Tories and Reform UK have called on Labour to abandon a planned hike in fuel duty amid the jump in prices caused by the Iran conflict.