Coronavirus: Tesco chair to head COVID recovery commission
John Allan will chair the COVID Recovery Commission, which is to be launched this week, Sky News learns.
Wednesday 1 July 2020 19:04, UK
The chairman of Tesco is to spearhead a committee of business leaders tasked with generating policy ideas for rejuvenating Britain's post-coronavirus economy.
Sky News has learnt that John Allan, who recently handed over the reins as president of the CBI, will chair the new COVID Recovery Commission, the launch of which will be announced on Friday.
City sources said the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, had agreed to endorse its creation, although it will not have a formal government mandate.
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The panel's objectives will be to develop "bold" policy ideas for bolstering UK productivity, encourage business investment and promote innovation, according to a person close to it.
That will include a focus on how the pandemic has affected the 'levelling up' agenda that was central to the Conservatives' campaign ahead of last December's general election.
Among the commission's other members will be John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow Airport's chief executive; Ruth Cairnie, chair of Babcock International; Manoj Badale, co-founder of the technology investor Blenheim Chalcot; and Sinead Lynch, chair of Shell UK.
It will also include executives from AstraZeneca, British Land and Vodafone, according to insiders.
One source said the group had been established at the instigation of WPI Strategy, a political and economics consultancy.
The commission's economic analysis will be overseen by Matthew Oakley, a former Treasury adviser.
None of those involved in it would comment on Wednesday.