Nigel Farage’s deputy leader has said that he does not see why existing Sunday trading rules need to change after the Government was rumoured to be considering tweaks. Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice MP, told the Express: “I remain opposed to changing the Sunday trading laws as they currently are. They have existed for decades, and I see no reason to change them.” Mr Tice has hinted that he would become Chancellor if his party won the next general election in 2029.
Gawain Towler, a member of Reform’s board, meanwhile, added: “It won’t boost the economy. It will just make life harder for smaller businesses.” He added: “There’s a reason why the rules are in place.” Larger stores have competitive advantages, which means, for the moment, the UK has “hit a reasonable balance”, Mr Towler also said, while highlighting that customers currently have access to shops, but it’s “not another pressure on small businesses”.
When told that the Treasury had said that it has no plans to change the rules, Nigel Farage’s former right hand man warned that it may change its mind.
He said: “How many times have we heard that?
“I have great confidence in my Chancellor of the Exchequer.”
Reform is at the moment riding high in the polls, getting as much as a 35% vote share.
A mega survey in September suggested that Mr Farage was on course to become Prime Minister.
The Government previously told the Express: “This pro-business government is creating a fairer business rates system to protect the high street, support investment, and level the playing field and we intend to introduce a permanently lower business rates multiplier for retail properties from next year.
“The Government does not intend to make changes to Sunday trading rules.”
This was after it was reported by the Grocer that ministers had floated the idea of reform.
A senior source told the website that the idea of “looking again” at the law had been raised by Treasury sources as part of a wider discussion about business rates and measures to aid retailers.
Currently, there are “no firm plans”, they added.
Under present regulations, small shops – those under 280 square metres – can trade freely on Sundays.
But larger stores, including supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose, are only allowed to open for a six-hour period between 10am and 6pm.
Those against any tweaks to the status quo suggest that allowing stores to remain open for the normal length of time would take a toll on workers and smaller businesses, and deny Brits valuable time with their families and loved ones and to relax.
However, advocates for adjustments have highlighted a “flatlining” economy, and argue that a changed society means that the way things work at the moment is outdated.
