UK government appoints Christine Tacon as groceries code adjudicator

The UK government has named the first ombudsman whose job would be to crack down on the big supermarkets bullying suppliers in the £163 billion grocery sector.

As the groceries code adjudicator, Christine Tacon, who ran the Co-operative group's farming business for 11 years, would now wield the  power to fine the UK's 10 biggest supermarkets, including Tesco and Asda, with turnover above £1 billion.

However, industry experts remain sceptical about whether anything would change with her appointment, as no supermarket had ever been fined by a government body for mistreating a supplier. Tacon, would hold the post for four years, although she would not officially take up the role until the revised groceries code adjudicator post was passed by parliament later this year.

She would draw a salary of £69,000 and would work for three days a week.

According to Bryan Roberts, the insights director at Kantar Retail, he was convinced the adjudicator would not really change much. He said a lot of the aggressive behaviour and demands that the big supermarkets put on suppliers were all perfectly legal and within the code of conduct, such as the so-called 'investment' in promotions.

She has been given the mandate to wipe out the ''climate of fear'' among whistleblowers.