The British Retail Consortium congratulates Keir Starmer and the Labour Party on their success in yesterday’s election. Responding to the victory, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

The country has made its decision and we now look forward to getting down to business with the new government. Retail is an important source of employment and investment in every part of the country, and through its scale and reach can make a big contribution to Labour’s policy goals. Finding ways to unlock this contribution over the next five years should be a shared endeavour between the new government and the retail industry.

Labour’s manifesto made some crucial commitments for retail, from reforming business rates, planning and the apprenticeship levy, to introducing a specific offence for assaulting a retail worker, and we now await the details of how these will be taken forward.

Labour recognised that the business rates system is broken. With retail paying 22% of the total rates bill while accounting for 5% of the economy, it is the number one thing in the way of increased retail investment which could unlock growth across the economy. So we look forward to further engagement on the details as the work starts here in turning commitments into delivery.”

 -ENDS-