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DIY Giant B&Q Could Charge Scots More If They Back Independence

DIY Giant B&Q Could Charge Scots More If They Vote Yes Next Week
Asa Bennett
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A pedestrian walks past a B&Q home improvement store, operated by Kingfisher Plc, in Manchester, U.K., on Monday, March 24, 2014. Kingfisher, the owner of the B&Q DIY chain, may announce a dividend for shareholders or share buyback option at its annual results, the Financial Times newspaper reported last week. Photographer: Paul Thomas/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg via Getty Images

Scottish consumers could be forced to pay higher prices at household names like B&Q if Scotland gains independence in next week's referendum, the boss of Britain's biggest DIY retail group has warned.

Sir Ian Cheshire, boss of the Kingfisher group, told Sky News that a vote for independence would almost inevitably force the business to pass on the increased costs to customers.

"We think there is a real risk in terms of higher costs, the uncertainty about a currency union and the difficulty of making investment decisions," he said. "Smaller, more complex markets often mean passing higher costs on to consumers."

Sir Ian's intervention comes as other business leaders are expected to speak up in defence of the union, with prime minister David Cameron urging bosses on Monday to make their views known to help preserve the union.

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Sir Ian Cheshire takes David Cameron around one of his B&Q stores

Sir Ian was among 23 business leaders to back Cameron's pre-election pledge to cut national insurance, served on his business taskforce working on ways to slash EU red tape, and was knighted last year.

See also:

Scottish Independence: Cameron, Miliband And Clegg Abandon PMQs To Campaign For No Vote

Mark Carney Warns Currency Union 'Incompatible' With Scottish Independence

Sir Ian's comments come after supermarket giants reportedly feared that independence could force them to increase food costs for Scots due to the increased cost of distributing goods.

The furore has seen pro-independence campaigners threaten to boycott Asda and Morrisons, with others expressing fury at Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the other big supermarket chains.

Scottish Independence: Who Stands Where
No: Barack Obama(01 of12)
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The American electorate may have gone off their president after five and a half years in office but Barack Obama still enjoys 2008 levels of popularity in the UK. People from the No Campaign probably fainted when Obama said "the key word is 'united'" when asked about Scotland. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Yes: Sir Sean Connery(02 of12)
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Austin Powers may be against independence but James Bond isn't. Sir Sean has told his fellow Scots that independence "is too good an opportunity to miss". He also said the potential boosts to the film and creative industries are "particularly exciting". (credit:Danny Lawson/PA Archive)
No: Hillary Clinton (03 of12)
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"I would hate to have you lose Scotland," the potential next American president told Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight. "I hope that it doesn't happen but I don't have a vote in Scotland. But I would hope it doesn't happen." She added: "I would think it would be a loss for both sides but, again, I don't have a vote." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Yes: Brian Cox (Not That One)(04 of12)
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The face of BBC science has not declared for or against Scottish independence but his namesake, actor Brian Cox is firmly in favour of it.He has provided the voice of Duggy Dog, an animated Highland Terrier created by the Yes campaign who aims to "sniff out fact from fiction" in the independence debate. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
No: David Bowie(05 of12)
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Since dabbling in right-wing politics in the 1970s, Bowie's views appear to have mulled somewhat.When Kate Moss collected his BRIT award earlier this year, she read a statement on behalf that asked Scotland to "stay with us".The statement said: "In Japanese myth the rabbits from my old costume that Kate's wearing live on the moon. Kate comes from Venus and I from Mars, so that's nice. I'm completely delighted to have a Brit for being the best male, but I am, aren't I Kate? I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much and Scotland - stay with us." (credit:Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
Yes: Alan Cumming(06 of12)
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This Scot is firmly pro-independence. So much so, the New York-based actor bought a flat in Edinburgh last year so he would be able to vote in September's referendum. Unfortunately, it was deemed not to be his "main address" and, by extension, he will not be able to vote. (credit:Andy Kropa /Invision/AP)
No: JK Rowling(07 of12)
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JK Rowling, who wrote her first Harry Potter book while living in Edinburgh and still lives in the Scottish capital, has given £1 million to defeat Alex Salmond.She wrote she was "no fan of the Westminster government".She added: "The simple truth is that Scotland is subject to the same 21st century pressures as the rest of the world. The more I listen to the Yes campaign, the more I worry about its minimisation and even denial of risks."A Twitter account digested this and reflected: "What a #bitch after we gave her shelter in our city when she was a single mum." (credit:Ian West/PA Wire)
Yes: Billy Bragg(08 of12)
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Always outspoken, Bragg's take on Scottish independence is that it would be as good for his native England as it would for north of the border. The left-winger said: "Scottish independence throws up the possibility of a more progressive England. We won’t be British any more, we’ll be English." (credit:Jonathan Short/Invision/AP)
No: The BBC, According To Protestors(09 of12)
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On Sunday, 2,000 people gathered outside BBC Scotland's Glasgow headquarters to protest what they saw as its pro-union stance.A couple who attended the protest said: "The BBC is paid for by all of us whether Yes or No but it doesn’t reflect both sides of the campaign. They don't cover stories that damage No, but are always headlining stories against Yes." (credit:Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
No...ish: Pope Francis(10 of12)
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Pope Francis voiced concerns about Scottish independence - but his comments were non-commital to the point where both the yes and no camps welcomed them.Speaking about secession movements across the world, the infallable representative of God on earth said countries breaking away from larger states should be considered on a "case-by-case basis".He acknowledged the case was "clear" in in some cases but listed Scotland as one of the cases where "I ask myself it is so clear".He said: "Let's think of the former Yugoslavia. Obviously, there are nations with cultures so different that couldn't even be stuck together with glue."The Yugoslavian case is very clear, but I ask myself if it is so clear in other cases - Scotland, Padania, Catalunya."No campaigners said the Pope was "right to warn about the impact of division" while No campaigners said: "As His Holiness says, these matters should be looked at on a case-by-case basis." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Yes: Glasgow's Sunday Herald(11 of12)
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The Sunday Herald became the first Scottish paper to back the yes campaign in May with this front cover. It wrote: "We understand the past, as best we can, and guess at the future. But history is as nothing to the lives of the children being born now, this morning, in the cities, towns and villages of this country."On their behalf, we assert a claim to a better, more decent, more just future in which a country's governments will be ruled always by the decisions of its citizens.'' (credit:Sunday Herald)
Yes. No. Wait, What?: Elijah Wood(12 of12)
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Sir Sean appeared to win an ally when Lord of The Rings actor Elijah Wood said Scotland should "fucking go for it" with independence.But he later backtracked, claiming he had misunderstood the question he was asked at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Speaking to the Scotsman, he said: "You know, in truth, I thought they were talking about independent cinema. I mean, it’s a film festival.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The B&Q chief's comments come as the head of one of Britain's largest defence suppliers, France's Thales, suggested that a "yes" vote could put jobs and investment in Scotland at risk.

Thales chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy told Reuters: :It is clear that if it is cut off from Scotland, the rest of Great Britain will have fewer resources to devote to defence and this will inevitably lead us to re-examine our industrial framework.

"There would be questions over the capabilities we keep in the UK and there would also be questions over the facilities we maintain in Scotland."

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