Competition watchdog role for ex-boss of Amazon UK ‘a slap in face’, say unions
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Business minister denies government ‘in pocket of big tech’ after hiring Doug Gurr to chair CMA. The appointment of a former Amazon boss to lead the UK’s competition watchdog as it launches a wave of investigations into technology firms has been called a “slap in the face to workers” by trade unions and Trumpian by consumer activists.
The business minister Justin Madders was forced on Wednesday to deny the government was “in the pocket of big tech” after it hired Doug Gurr, former country manager of Amazon UK and president of Amazon China, to chair the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
He replaces Marcus Bokkerink, who agreed to stand down on Tuesday after the government demanded ideas from regulators to boost economic growth. Announcing the hiring of Gurr, who will be interim chair for up to 18 months, the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said he now wanted to see the CMA “supercharging the economy with pro-business decisions that will drive prosperity and growth”.
It means that a senior Amazon executive from 2011 to 2020 will oversee the watchdog as it launches a series of investigations into technology companies under a new digital markets competition regime. The regime allows the UK authorities to require dominant technology companies to change how they operate to boost competition. The first investigation is into Google, with further inquiries into competition conditions set to be announced into other firms in the coming months.
