ACS has launched an easy-to-read manifesto guide depicting how the main political parties’ pledges will affect local shops.

The guide compares the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green Party and UKIP’s promises to see how they line up on key issues affecting small business, including: business rates, employment, public health, high streets and more.

The National Minimum Wage is a key battleground for all of the main parties. Labour have pledged to increase wages to £8 an hour by 2019, the SNP would look to take it higher to £8.70 by the end of the next parliament, whereas the Green Party want to hike the minimum wage up to £10 by 2020.

Ways of tackling crime also featured predominantly in the manifestos. To help protect the 78% of c-stores who experienced shop theft and 55% of retailers who were subjected to verbal and physical abuse last year, the Conservatives have vowed to overhaul police cautions used for shop theft, Labour will give more protection to staff who work in public areas to protect them from assault, and the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru want to use restorative justice as a method of punishment.

Other pledges include UKIP’s desire to reverse the plain packaging legislation for tobacco products and the Green Party’s reintroduction of the fuel duty escalator.

The ACS Manifestos guide can be viewed here: http://www.acs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Manifesto-Pledges.jpg