Labour leader Ed Miliband has hit out at Boots chairman Stefano Pessina, saying British voters should not be "told how to vote by someone who avoids paying his taxes".
The attack comes after the Monaco-based Mr Pessina said Mr Miliband's plans for Britain are "not helpful for business, not helpful for the country and in the end it probably won't be helpful for them".
Speaking at Sky News' Stand Up Be Counted event in central London, Mr Miliband said the Boots boss should not be telling Britons how to vote in next May's General Election.
Mr Miliband said: "There is nothing that annoys people more than tax avoidance by big companies.
"Firstly, we have to act internationally, because that is the best way of clamping down on this. We also have to be willing to act on our own.
"Denmark and others do a much better job of clamping down on tax avoidance by big firms.
"Yesterday, the chairman of Boots started telling people how to vote in the General Election.
"The chairman of Boots lives in Monaco and doesn't pay British taxes.
"I don't think people should take kindly to being told how to vote by someone who avoids paying his taxes."
Mr Pessina told The Sunday Telegraph newspaper on the weekend that if Labour "acted as they speak, it would be a catastrophe".
"The problem is would they act that way or not?" he added.
"One thing is to threaten and to shout but it is completely different to be in charge and to manage the country day to day."
Labour responded to the comments by criticising Mr Pessina for living abroad.
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said voters would draw their own conclusions about business leaders who live overseas and do not pay tax in the UK.
"It is important that the voice of business is heard during this General Election campaign, not least on Europe," he said.
"But the British people and British businesses will draw their own conclusions when those who don't live here, don't pay tax in this country and lead firms that reportedly avoid making a fair contribution in what they pay purport to know what is in Britain's best interests."
Speaking to the live studio audience, Mr Miliband was also asked about his plans to stop children being exposed to over-sexualised content in the media.
He replied: "I think it is an important problem and it is something we do have to look at.
"There is a responsibility on advertisers and television programmes, and I think that is where it starts.
"We have to look at issues of default settings on the internet in relation to children and young people, but I think that most of all, there is also a role for parents to make sure that they protect their children from content they should not see."
In another question from the audience to Mr Miliband earlier, Angel Layer asked: "If you get into power, what will you be doing to tackle graduate unemployment?"
Mr Miliband said: "Too many of the jobs in our economy are zero-hours contract jobs and insecure jobs.
"We have to say, look, if you are working regular hours you should have a regular contact, not a zero-hours contract."
The Stand Up Be Counted: Ask The Leaders multimedia event is being held to give young people access to Westminster's most powerful politicians.
During his session, Prime Minister David Cameron was attacked by young voters at the event over the Government's decision to fly flags at half-mast following the death of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz last month.
And Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg answered questions about his party's failure to scrap university fees during a live question-and-answer session in central London.
Green Party leader Natalie Bennett was the first politician to speak at the event, which is being filmed at offices in central London and broadcast on TV and online.
The Stand Up Be Counted event comes just three months before a General Election in which social media could play a decisive role for the first time.
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