The new national sport of ‘Tesco bashing’ has been embraced at a local level with some enthusiasm during the past fortnight, and I have to say I am a little disappointed, if not surprised. Like most Liverpudlians, I can see why folk would prefer the supermarket chain to find a more appropriate location than the beautiful Hope Street for its next store. Good luck to those who are objecting to that particular proposal.

However, the language that has been used in some quarters, one leading Councillor describing Tesco as ‘Sir Terry Leahy’s evil empire’ is offensive, a little barking and extremely short sighted.

Because, for all we may see the big national conglomerate as an easy target, we should remember, particularly in the current economic climate, that Tesco have made a significant contribution and investment into the Merseyside economy.

With that investment, they have saved literally thousands of Liverpool people from the indignity of the dole queue, and their policy of employing local people, and providing excellent training opportunities and progressive career paths for their staff in the process ought to be applauded, not condemned.

Of course, Sir Terry is a Scouser. Not one of those Scousers who make a load of dough and bugger off to London never to be seen again. A local entrepreneurial talent who has been more than happy to accept the invitations of our civic leaders to serve, in a voluntary capacity, and contribute his talent and ability to the plans and strategies for the future of Liverpool through the board of Liverpool Vision.

In the lead up to, and throughout the Capital of Culture year itself, Sir Terry was the guy who Liverpool gleefully rolled out as the city’s leading ambassador to tell the world what a great place his home town was. And on every possible occasion he did this. And he did it well.

I wonder if he will be quite as obliging the next time Liverpool City Council go knocking on his door for a favour?

COCKNEYS – DONT YOU JUST LOVE ‘EM
Downtown Liverpool’s weekly newsletter, TFI, has replaced its ‘Man of the Week’ feature with ‘Wally of the Week’ to highlight the ridiculous comments made by a Londoner chappie by the name of Brian Sewell.

Sewell claimed in an interview on Radio Four this week that awarding the Capital of Culture prize to Liverpool was ‘a joke’. You see, according to Sewell, our city has no culture.

Perhaps our city needs more museums; a more impressive music heritage; another cathedral; a Tate Gallery; a Bi-enniel; a World Heritage Site; more listed buildings. I could go on. Maybe he wants the supporters of our two local Premiership Football teams to follow the example of those loveable Cockney rogues who support West Ham and Millwall!

My guess is that, had he been asked, Sewell would have expressed this view not just about Liverpool, but all places north of the Watford Gap. I have often said that London is a superb city inhabited by people who don’t deserve it. And Sewell provides further credence to that notion.

However, on a serious note, Sewell’s misguided perception is shared by a good number of his peers. And that is why investment in marketing Liverpool nationally, as well as internationally, is vitally important.