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).