Officials in London and Rotterdam tussle over future of Unilever HQ

UK officials are in talks with Unilever to convince the consumer goods giant to keep its headquarters in London.

Unilever has been bringing forward changes to the business after Kraft Heinz’s unsuccessful bid for the company this time last year. Unilever’s boss Paul Polman announced a review of the business to deliver shareholder value and stave off another hostile approach.

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Now, the company is planning to unify the Dutch and British arms of the business under one roof, and the government fears Unilever will pick Rotterdam as the location for its European headquarters, the Financial Times reported.

Meanwhile, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has been lobbying Unilever to opt for the Netherlands.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: “The government remains in regular contact with Unilever and we will continue to work with them during this process

“Through our recently published industrial strategy, we are working with companies across the UK to create an environment where businesses can thrive.”