The All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group has confirmed Ruth George MP as its new chair at the group’s Annual General Meeting today.
Ruth George is the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, having been elected to Parliament in the 2017 General Election.
Ruth George MP said: “I’m delighted to be chairing the All Party Small Shops Group and continue the work that the group has been carrying out to highlight the issues facing small shops trading in every location across the UK. Small shops are significant investors in the UK economy and important employers in local communities, and it’s vital that we promote the benefits of small shops to parliamentarians and policy makers.”
The All-Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group was set up by a cross party group of MPs to raise awareness among Parliamentarians of a broad range of issues of concern to small shopkeepers including business rates, retail crime, planning reform and changes to the high street. The group provides opportunities for members of Parliament to register their interest in small shop issues and learn more about the work that small shops do and the policy challenges that they face.
The group has run successful campaigns and inquiries on supporting entrepreneurship among small shops, improving standards of conduct for small business energy contracts and highlighting the challenges faced by small businesses when dealing with banks.
The secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group is provided by the Association of Convenience Stores, who spoke at the AGM about what small shops want from the Budget on 22nd November. More information about the group’s activity can be found at https://www.indieretail.org/appssg/.
