At March’s meeting of the Corporate Affairs Community, we covered the latest updates on the Employment Rights Act, crime, late payments and the nutrient profiling model. We also took a look ahead to May’s elections in England, Scotland and Wales and discussed the early impacts of the Iran war on members.
Read on for the notes, which should be read in tandem with the slides presented (available below).
Campaigning
PRIORITY CAMPAIGN – Employment Rights Act
• We continue to target peers ahead of the laying of secondary legislation, as well as ongoing engagement with senior DBT officials, SpAds, Business and Trade Committee and employment-focused APPGs
• The key areas of contention remain proposals around guaranteed hours, trade union access and collective redundancies
CRIME
• Our data showed that 1 in 5 people have witnessed violence and abuse against retail workers in the last year
• The Crime and Policing Bill, which includes the standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, is expected to receive royal assent before the May elections. We are working with ACS and USDAW on activity to mark this occasion
LATE PAYMENTS
• Government announcement this week included some good wins for retail regarding late payments
• Exclusion from the 60 day window for payment of ‘large to large’ business transactions and genuine overseas contracts while scope for more flexibility on imported goods represented some of the positive steps taken
NUTRIENT PROFILING MODEL
• Consultation on applying the new NPM published yesterday despite concern around the lack of an impact assessment and the additional burden it places on the industry
• BRC will respond to the consultation, members are encouraged to do so as well. We will also be sending in a letter to Number 10 next week on this
IRAN AND ENERGY COSTS
• Chancellor has set out an ‘anti-profiteering’ framework which could mean possible time-limited powers for the CMA and other regulators
• Government is also exploring targeted cuts to agri-food tariffs, accelerating nuclear delivery and support for ‘households most in need’
• But, it’s clear that Government is not coordinating its response to the war with industry – members also noted that rhetoric on profiteering and price-gouging is unhelpful and unfounded
• Members said that given rising energy costs, Government must look at all the regulation it is placing on industry and ease the cumulative burden on retail over the coming months
• If you have any feedback or insight you’d like to share on the ongoing impact of the war in Iran, please contact jim.bligh@brc.org.uk
ELECTIONS
• 5,000 councillors up for election in England, polls suggest a five way split between Reform, Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems and the Greens
• The Senedd in Wales is expanding to 96 seats, election expected to be won by Plaid Cymru, potentially taking power in a coalition or as a minority Government
• All 129 seats in Holyrood in Scotland are up for election. The SNP are likely to retain power with John Swinney MSP staying on as First Minister
DEVOLVED UPDATES
• Members will be provided with short digests of each of the Scottish and Welsh parties’ manifestos ahead of the election, where they pertain to retailers and/or customers
• Member workshops on the Scottish and Welsh party manifestos will be held on 27 April
• SRC and WRC are writing to each of the 96 Parliamentarians in Wales and 129 in Scotland to share short papers on retail’s economic/social contribution
• Also seeking to hold various engagements for members with key Ministers, Opposition frontbenchers and other key stakeholders
• NIRC is aiming to develop a member-mandated Retail Manifesto, and hold accompanying member engagements with the key parties, ahead of NI elections next year – more detail to come shortly
• Please join the Devolved team for a member briefing at the BRC’s London HQ on 13 October – for more details, contact david.lonsdale@brc.org.uk
