Irish businessman Gerry Murphy slams UK governments’ business policies in Q&A with PM Rishi Sunak

Gerry Murphy, the chairman of Burberry and an Irish businessman, recently criticized the UK’s current and recent governments during a televised event in London. The event, organized by the Conservative Party, aimed to reset strained relations with the business industry after the Brexit vote and the chaotic series of policies and prime ministers that followed. Murphy delivered a polite but withering assessment of British business policies, even taking a swipe at Brexit itself, which UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak campaigned for. Murphy criticized Sunak’s decision to remove Vat-back for tourists during the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in 2020, which made the UK the “least attractive shopping destination in Europe” and hit the travel, hotel, and luxury brands sectors. The Conservative Party has been trying to bridge the gap between business leaders and the party and woo them back from the Labour Party’s centrist leader, Keir Starmer.