Simon Walker, chief executive of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, has lambasted public criticism of private equity firms, which he sees as an attack on the UK's trade body, in a veiled attack on Jon Moulton, head of Alchemy Partners.

Speaking at the annual Super Return Private Equity and Venture Capital conference in Munich, Germany, this morning Walker said: “There are enough enemies of capitalism attacking us without the occasional blast behind our own ranks.” On Tuesday, in a speech at the same conference, Moulton said the BVCA's statistics on job creation by private equity firms were flawed.