‘Despicable’ shopkeepers in Newcastle’s West End have been slammed by a city MP for hiking the price of basic food supplies during the coronavirus crisis.
Chi Onwurah has written to nine shops accused of price gouging on items like meat and rice, following complaints from desperate constituents worried about feeding their families during the pandemic.
The MP for Newcastle Central has vowed to name and shame any city retailers proven to be engaging in the shocking practice, which she likened to war profiteering.
While Ms Onwurah declined to name the nine shops she wrote to on Monday until further evidence emerges, she confirmed that they were all in the Elswick or Wingrove wards.
The Labour MP said she had been “deeply disturbed” by the reports and labelled the practice “despicable”.
Ms Onwurah, who has also condemned reported price hikes on sports equipment at Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct stores, added: “It is important to say that I have not been at these shops doing price checks before and after.
“But I did get desperate letters from constituents saying that that they were worried about how to feed their families anyway, but now they have seen shops drive up the price of meat or rice.”
She added: “I want to make clear that both as a local MP and nationally, we will be naming and shaming.
“I have not done it yet because I do not have the evidence, but I will be.
“This kind of profiteering behaviour would be called black marketeering in war time. In a time of national crisis, we are going to clamp down on this.”
Birmingham MP Liam Byrne has launched a website to collect reports of price gouging in shops, while the Competitions and Markets Authority has launched a Covid-19 task force to tackle businesses looking to exploit the virus outbreak for financial gain.
Coun Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “While the vast majority of people in our city are pulling together and doing their bit to help stop this deadly disease in its tracks, I find it utterly appalling that there are people out there seeking to profit from the uncertainty of this situation.
“This is nothing but greed at a time when people in our communities should be looking out for one another, not seeking to exploit individuals.
“I would call on the government to introduce the necessary legislation to stop this activity and put an end to this profiteering during a national emergency. Until that point our Trading Standards officers will continue to monitor the situation but I sincerely hope human decency can prevail in this instance.”
