Joshua Reynolds MP visits Fed member in Berkshire

Maidenhead Liberal Democrat MP Joshua Reynolds has again met with the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) to discuss the challenges facing small independent shops.

Following a visit to Fed National President Hetal Patel’s shop in Furze Platt, in Maidenhead last October, Mr Reynolds visited Holyport Post Office which is run by Fed members Sanjay and Jaya Patel on Friday, March 27.

Hetal Patel and the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator Douglas Oliver were also in attendance.

As well as serving as the local MP in the Berkshire constituency, Mr Reynolds is spokesperson for Investment & Trade for the Lib Dems in Parliament. Just recently, he backed the Fed’s call for dedicated retail security grants to help small shops tackle retail crime.

Friday’s meeting came as the new financial year looms in early April, which will see a series of costs impacting small independent retailers including increases to business rates, an above-inflation increase in the National Living wage and the first measures in the Employment Rights Act, including an extension of the obligation for employers to provide staff sick pay from the first day of illness.

The discussion also touched on the growing challenge of illicit trade in tobacco and the unfair competition to responsible retailers provided by this trade which is widely linked to organised crime. The Fed representatives discussed their calls for the government to provide better resourcing for local authority trading standards teams as well as urging them to have better strategic focus so as to support legitimate retailers.

Commenting after the meeting, Joshua Reynolds MP said: “”It was great to speak to Sanjay and Jaya Patel and the team from the Fed about the continuing challenges facing the sector. Having worked in retail myself managing branches of the Co-Op and helping run branches of the Post Office, before entering politics, I know the challenges businesses like this face.

“In particular, we discussed the impact of rising costs like higher business rates taking effect in April, as well as retail crime and illicit traders which undermine responsible retailers.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the Fed and making the concerns of the Patels and their team heard in Parliament.”

Sanjay Patel said: “It was a very positive meeting and I was pleased by Joshua’s interest in the topics we discussed. However, we want to encourage him to continue his support for Fed members and independent retailers in Parliament.”