UNIONS repeated calls for a windfall tax on hugely profitable energy firms today after Tesco’s chairman said there is an overwhelming need for the move to address the cost-of-living crisis. 

John Allan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that some of the supermarket giant’s customers are asking checkout staff to stop scanning items once their bill reaches a certain limit.

Speaking ahead of the Queen’s Speech, which contained little in terms of new policy to tackle rocketing inflation and falling real-terms wages, Mr Allan said: “It’s harder for people to mitigate energy than it is with food.