ACS has commended the work of local shops in engaging with candidates ahead of an historic General Election. 

Throughout the election campaign, ACS has been encouraging convenience retailers across the UK to connect with prospective parliamentary candidates, many of which have become MPs for the first time. 

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We are delighted with the response from retailers throughout the campaign, who have been eager to engage with candidates and build relationships ahead of the General Election. Now that we have hundreds of new MPs, it’s crucial that we keep up the momentum so that retailers can engage with their local decision makers and highlight the work that they do in their communities.

“We look forward to engaging with the new Government on the importance of local shops throughout the UK. Convenience stores are essential community hubs, creators of secure, flexible local jobs, and accelerators of local growth.”

ACS has been engaging with candidates on the issues that matter to local shops ahead of the forming of the new Government, including key policy areas like crime, investment and employment. The full briefing on what local shops need from the new Government is available here.

With Labour now forming a Government, the next step for the party is to set out its legislative agenda based on the commitments that were made in the manifesto during the campaign. The first opportunity for the new Government to do this will be in the Kings Speech, which is scheduled for July 17th. There is then likely to be a major fiscal event (autumn budget or autumn statement) after the summer recess. 

Some of the key measures affecting local shops that have been outlined in the Labour manifesto include: 

Business taxation

• Cap corporation tax at 25% for the entire parliament
• Retain permanent full expensing for capital investment and the annual investment allowance for small business
• Replace business rates in England with a revenue neutral system that levels the playing field between online and high streets

Communities

• Strengthen the Post Office network and support the development of new products, services and business models, such as banking hubs, that will help reinvigorate the high street
• Further devolution and a new statutory requirement for Local Growth Plans
• Full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030

Employment

• Remove the age bands for the National Living Wage (currently anyone aged 20 and over is eligible for NLW)
• Change the remit of the Low Pay Commission so that it accounts for the cost of living

Public health

• Introduce a generational ban on purchasing tobacco products
• Ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children
• Ban on advertising junk food to children 
• Ban on selling high caffeine energy drinks to under 16s

Crime

• A new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee including the recruitment of thousands of new officers
• A new specific offence for assaults on shopworkers that will protect them from threats and violence

There will be an early opportunity to engage with MPs at ACS’ Heart of the Community reception on the House of Commons Terrace, taking place on Tuesday 9th July. If you would like to attend this year’s Heart of the Community reception, you can book online here: https://www.acs.org.uk/events/heart-community-2024