বিভাগসমূহ: রাজনৈতিক সম্পৃক্ততা

Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Discusses Retail Crime with The Fed

Cleveland PCC, Matt Storey, met with the Fed on Monday 2nd February 2026 to discuss the impact of shop theft and harassment of retail workers and the local partnership his Police Force’s response to it. Mr. Storey was elected to the role in May 2024 as Labour candidate, serving the Cleveland Police area which includes Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, and Redcar & Cleveland boroughs, an area with about half a million residents. He spoke with Fed National President, Hetal Patel, local Stockton retailer Stephen Tate and the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator, Doug Oliver.

During the call, the Fed team spoke about the direct and indirect impacts of stolen items as well as the links to drug and alcohol misuse and sometimes organised crime. Mr. Tate spoke about the need for a strong deterrent to discourage retail crime.
The discussion also touched on the need for a visible police presence, rehabilitation for offenders and the importance Cleveland place on Restorative Justice which allows victims to discuss the impact of crime with perpetrators.

Mr. Storey said: “Tackling business and retail crime cannot be solved by policing alone, and I was pleased to develop our broader partnership approach by speaking with the Fed’s team, and to learn more about the issues from a business perspective as part of my engagement work.

“I welcomed the opportunity to outline our work to respond to the local challenges through my Police and Crime Plan, including our upcoming Business Crime Partnership and I was delighted to extend an invitation to Fed members to support this work.”

The Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator Doug Oliver said: “It was a very positive meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner and his team. We spoke about new security tools used by local groups, like the Business Reduction Partnership and BIDs. In addition, we touched on work to tackle organised crime and work at a national level in collaboration with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Office and other key stakeholders.”

The Fed Invites Senedd Members and Senedd Candidates to visit Fed businesses

Vince Malone with Henry Tufnell MP in Tenby Pembrokeshire last summer

Ahead of the vital Welsh election in May, the Fed has invited Senedd candidates to visit businesses in Wales to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing small businesses. The situation in Wales is particularly volatile and hard to predict – with an expansion of the Senedd from 60 to 96 members and the use of new constituencies elected by Proportional Representation – but, whatever happens, the Fed wants to ensure our members are at the heart of what happens next.

The Fed’s manifesto for the Welsh Election was released last month and focused on the need for retail grants to be provided for small independent businesses, as well as action to control costs particularly business rates which are controlled by the Welsh Parliament, as well as a cost neutral Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for Recycling that worked for small shops.

Pembrokeshire retailer Vince Malone said: “The Fed recently had a very positive meeting with Jenny Rathbone in Cardiff and I have had a series of meetings with my local MP Henry Tufnell at my business and in Parliament in the past year. The Welsh District President Clive Birkby and I have written to representatives currently serving the Mid and West Wales region – as well as those in the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency – offering to meet at my business in Tenby to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing small shops in more depth.

“I would encourage other Fed members in Wales to participate as well and get in touch about inviting their candidates to visit in what looks to be an exciting and unpredictable political contest which will have a big impact on Welsh retail.”

Scottish First Minister celebrates “vital” role of independent retailers across Scotland

The Scottish First Minister’s Office has written to the Fed’s National President in Scotland, Hussan Lal, backing the comments he made highlighting the work of the Fed and its members and also offering to “sincerely thank” them for the Political Engagement work.

Mr Lal had written to the First Minister, John Swinney MSP, ahead of the Scottish Trade Show of Fed on 29th January in Edinburgh, using it as an occasion to highlight the social and economic role small shops play in the communities they serve.

Mr Lal’s letter earlier in January had stated: “The independent convenience sector remains an important part of the retail landscape, providing a vast range of convenience products as well as new services, from payment, postal and parcel options…Nonetheless, as you will appreciate, this is a challenging time for the sector and our members due to retail crime and high costs.”

The response from Mr Swinney stated: “The Scottish Government fully supports the points you make in your letter regarding the importance of the sector. Convenience stores, and the broader retail sector in Scotland, provide vital local accessible services and flexible employment opportunities. They contribute greatly to their communities, towns,villages and neighbourhoods across Scotland.”

The letter continued: “As the largest private sector employer in Scotland, it is important to always recognise the vital part the retail sector plays for the people of Scotland and our wider economy. The Scottish Government also remains conscious the challenges and difficult trading conditions facing the sector due to factors such as the cost crisis, the shift in online shopping and falling footfall.”

The Fed has recently been in correspondence with the SNP Government in Edinburgh around the Budget earlier in January and has further plans to engage with the SNP Government and all major parties in Scotland ahead of the Holyrood election on Thursday May 7th.

For more information about the Fed’s Political Engagement work in Scotland, please get in touch by email at douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

The Fed meets Cardiff Central MS to highlight challenges facing independent retailers

The Fed met with the Member of the Senedd for Cardiff Central, Jenny Rathbone, on Friday, January 23, at Albany Road Post Office to highlight the key services Fed members provide and the challenges they face.

Mark Dudden, the store’s owner, hosted the visit, along with prominent Fed member Vince Malone, who is a retailer based in Tenby in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, and the Fed’s political engagement coordinator Doug Oliver.

Mr Dudden said: “Jenny and I have known each other for many years and we have worked together in the past on issues facing the Fed’s members – but I would like to thank her visiting the business once again. This is an important time for the Fed and we discussed the challenges for small shops caused by retail crime and higher costs as well as the Fed’s manifesto that was recently published ahead of the Welsh Senedd election on May 7^থা this year. I explained that though the shop and post office employs about 20 members of staff, higher costs including higher taxes and the impact of costs for security to deal with retail crime, are making it harder to employ more staff and with more hours.

“We discussed the important services provided by the post office, particularly access to cash as well as the myriad of other services it offers and also how that drives footfall for the business. We also spoke about the planned Deposit Return Scheme for Recycling (DRS) and how this could also boost footfall for independent business, so long as the scheme is cost neutral for shops.”

To find out more about the Fed’s Political Engagement work in Wales, please get in touch with our Political Engagement Coordinator on: douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner meets with Fed members

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster spoke to a meeting of the West Mids District of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) in Walsall on Wednesday 14th January where he discussed ongoing work to tackle retail crime locally and further afield.

During his address he acknowledged that retail crime remains a “continual challenge” but he was committed to “partnership work” as part of his approach to retail crime which is a priority area identified in the 2025-2029 Police and Crime Plan along with a wider enhancement in Community Policing.

Mr. Foster’s approach to Community Policing includes additional recruitment of 150 neighbourhood police and 20 PCSOs in recent years, though he was critical of the overall Police Funding Formula which he felt left more urban areas less resourced than more sparsely populated counties.

As well as acknowledging the desire for partnership working with regional stakeholders like Fed members, Mr Foster also spoke of his work at the national level and said he was pleased to hear of December’s meeting between the Fed’s National President Hetal Patel and Crime & Policing Minister Sarah Jones MP. In terms of Partnership working Mr Foster also spoke of work on Operation Pegasus and Opal to tackle retail crime at a national level and the importance of partnerships for rehabilitation for certain offenders to prevent retail crime because of the close link between drug addiction and shop theft.

Mr Foster responded to a variety of questions about prospects for improvements in the future, with Vice President Serge Khunkhun asking about how resources will be brought to the frontline and other questions about crime reporting, adequate judicial deterrents and possible security training and advice for independent shops.

District President Amy Sohal commented on the event saying: “I was really pleased that the West Mids PCC came to join us and giving this useful update. Mr. Foster promised to work closely with us on an ongoing basis and we invited him to update us further in a meeting this time next year.”

Mr Foster said: “It was exceedingly useful for me to meet with the Fed as retail crime is an area of great importance for me as identified in the West Midlands Police and Crime Plan – and because of all the social and economic disruption this crime causes. I look forward to meeting with Fed members again.”

Challenges of independent retailing shared with Stockport MP

Stockport retailer Bhavna Patel is the latest Fed member to welcome her local MP to her store to discuss the big issues facing small independent shopkeepers.

Stockport Labour MP Navendu Mishra visited Gigi Supermarket on Grosvenor Road, which Ms Patel and her family have run since 1985, on Friday January 16,.

The Fed’s national deputy vice president Craig Etchells, who runs a business less than 10 miles further north in Manchester, and its political engagement coordinator Doug Oliver were also in attendance. The two retailers spoke about the challenges caused by shop theft and their attempts to engage the police when issues with retail crime have arisen.

Threats posed by the costs of business rates, the implementation of the new tobacco licence, rising energy costs and competition from bigger supermarkets, were also discussed, as well as the challenge from rogue traders elsewhere on the High Street.

On a more positive note, the MP was told about the growth of products such as parcels, which are helping to boost footfall, and the importance of stocking a full range of convenience products.

Commenting on the meeting, Mr Mishra said: “It was great to speak with Bhav and the Fed team and look forward to supporting them in Parliament in the future where I can.

“Having worked in retail for a period before becoming an MP, I know the hard work involved in running a shop and it was especially interesting to discuss these matters with the team. I hope to raise some of their points on retail crime and the need to boost neighbourhood policing and trading standards with Greater Manchester Police and the Home Office when I am down in Westminster.”

Ms Patel said: “My family have run this business for over four decades now, and my dad had a strong working relationship with Anne Coffey, Stockport’s previous MP and I appreciated Mr Mishra’s genuine interest. Whilst I explained it was a difficult environment for small shops like mine and thousands of Fed members across the UK, it was a useful first discussion and I look forward to speaking to him again in due course.”

Fed urges members to prepare for Vape Duty

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) is helping retailers prepare for the introduction of the Vape Duty. The levy was announced by the Chancellor and the Fed expressed concern about its implementation in our response to the last Budget.

However, the measure is set for 1st October, and the Fed is helping members prepare. Whilst the following is not comprehensive advice, some points to be aware of include:

• Implementation: Thursday 1st October 2026, £2.20 per 10 ml
• Scope: applies to anything with fluid, including bottled fluid, Shortfills, 10ml e-liquids and nicotine shots and includes fluids with no nicotine.
• Responsibility: Shops will need to ensure they pay products with HMRC stamp – similar to that on alcohol and cigarette products. Most regulatory focus will be at the wholesale level and manufacturers will need to pay and provide the HMRC stamp.
• Time-frame: retailers will have until 1st April 2027 to sell old duty which is not stamped.
• Action now: members will wish to consider their plans for stockpiling fluid in the run up to they key dates in October 2026 and April 2027 so they do not have unstamped fluid they can’t sell after April 2027.
• The Fed’s work for members: The Fed has urged the Government to help small independent businesses like our members prepare and is grateful for the 6-month implementation period. However, we urge members with any questions to get in touch at douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

Fed Raises Concerns about Business Rate Changes

The Fed is calling on the Government to act to control the Business Rates Bills of small independent retailers after the Budget proved disappointing for small shops, creating uncertainty and concern following. This follows action by the Government to benefit pubs and the Fed is calling on the Government to also help shops.

Hetal Patel said: “The Fed raised concerns about the impact of the Budget on the day it was announced as Small Business Rates threshold was frozen, the Retail Hospitality and Leisure multiplier was less than it could have been and the three-yearly Rateable Value revaluation was taking effect. We continue to raise awareness of this matter with our members and urge them to check their bill with their local authority.

Patel added: “The Fed has sympathy for pubs who have recently been offered extra protection from rising rates by a recent Government announcement following mistakes in the Budget but feels that small independent shops are also important social economic focal points in the community and want the Government to carefully monitor the impact of the changes on small retailers and do more to help them control their costs.”

Although some Fed members affected have protection from Rates Bills because of Small Business Rates Relief offering 100% protection now up to £12,000 per annum by rateable value, we are worried fewer will benefit as the Revaluation on properties – which takes place every three years and last occurred in April 2023 -will push some above this value. Meanwhile, more valuable properties currently benefiting from the 40% Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief, introduced during the pandemic, will lose out, with multipliers cut but not enough to counteract the loss of relief. The Fed has welcomed the £3.2 Billion transitional scheme and the extended Supporting Small Business scheme, the Fed continues to have concerns about Bills going up, as it looks likely that revenue from rates will rise overall, impacting shops as well as other businesses, like those in hospitality.

For more information on this matter, please contact the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator on: douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

New Welsh government must act on retail crime, independent retailers demand

Members of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) are calling for the new Welsh government to bring in a £6,500 grant to enable independent retailers to install modern CCTV to combat retail crime.

The measure is one of three of its manifesto proposals the organisation has submitted to party leaders in the run-up to the election in May 2026.

Others include the creation of and funding for a Retail Crime Taskforce that is a similar way to the one that exists in Scotland and for a crackdown on rogue trading by providing ring-fenced funding for trading standards officers.

It is hoped better-resourced teams will be better able to curb sales of illicit tobacco and vapes to children and adults. Such action would also support legitimate businesses undermined by the black market, as well as delivering a blow to the organised crime gangs which the Fed believes are often behind illegal trade.

With retail operating costs soaring, the Fed is calling for the new government to provide retail, hospitality and leisure relief for small businesses, similar to that in place in England.

The Fed’s Welsh president Clive Birkby said: “We are calling on all parties standing to put small independent Welsh shops at the heart of their agenda. In particular, we are calling for action to tackle retail crime as well as on the cost of business through limits to Business Rates Bills and a smooth and fair rollout of the deposit return scheme (DRS).