LARGE supermarkets who deal with suppliers unfairly could now be fined by the new Grocery Code Adjudicator.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle has welcomed the new measures which gives the adjudicator more teeth to protect farmers and other small suppliers. He said: “Too often, the farmer or small supplier is squashed under the might of the major supermarkets.

“That is why I and the Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for a strong, independent regulator that has real teeth to stand up for hard-working suppliers. To create growth and jobs, Liberal Democrats are making sure that small business owners and farmers must have the opportunity to can get on in life, without being squeezed by all-powerful supermarkets.”