This morning's "provisional decision" from the Office of Fair Trading that supermarkets and dairy processors have colluded to fix retail dairy prices has triggered a mixed reaction from interested parties.
These fall roughly into two camps - the "I told you so" camp (farmers and opposition politicians) and the "nothing to do with me" camp (supermarkets and dairy processors).
Not surprisingly, this latter group of campers is eager to paint themselves as whiter than white, dismissing any suggestion that they could ever talk to each other.
But a close inspection of their assorted Press Releases issued to deny the OFT's allegations suggests otherwise.
Almost without exception the supermarkets and processors point out that prices were only raised in 2002 and 2003 to increase the return to farmers. (The fact this did not happen and it was retailers and dairies who benefited is overlooked.)
They also all point out that "the OFTcannot decide if the law has been broken until the interested parties have responded" (or words to that effect).
The similarity in the Press Releases is quite remarkable. Could it be mere coincidence? Or is there something more sinister afoot? Perhaps someone should investigate....