Categories: Political Engagement

Fed Encourages Members to Prepare for Employment Rights Act Changes in April

The Fed is encouraging members to prepare for measures scheduled to take effect on April 6th this year – at the start of the new financial year.

Whilst the Fed has raised serious concerns about some of the measures that are in the pipeline in the Employment Rights Act, we are also keen to ensure small independent shops do what they can to get ready and after sharing some information in Your Fed magazine, we can now highlight some recently unveiled government guidance on new measures in the Act.

Whilst the Fed’s advice is not comprehensive, we encourage members to consult guidance where appropriate and consider their obligations in terms of documenting changes for relevant policies.

Key measures include, but are not limited to:

• The right of staff to claim statutory sick pay for staff from Day 1 rather than Day 4 from 6th April 2026: Further information here.
• From the same date, employees will be able to give notice to take Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave from their first day of employment, further information here.
• From 6th April, Bereaved Partners Paternity Leave will be introduced, where the mother or primary adopter of a child has died within the first year of a child’s life, further information here.
• In the same month, on Wednesday 1st April, the National Minimum Wage will go up:
  – To £12.71 per hour for those over 21 years old.
  To £10.85 per hour for those aged 18-20.

For further information about the Fed’s work in this area, please contact our Political Engagement Coordinator: douglas.oliver@nfrn.org.uk

The Fed reacts to Business Rates concern following publication of IRC Heartbeat Survey

Following the publication of the Independent Retailer Confederation’s (IRC’s) periodic Heartbeat Survey which reviewed economic sentiment for the final Quarter of 2025, the Fed has reacted with dismay but not surprise to data across the independent retail sector indicating concern about the economic landscape and especially the impact of rising business rates for independent retailers.

The Fed reacted immediately to the most recent UK Government Budget in November, which proved disappointing to retailers on Business Rates and has also called on the Government to extend to small shops the extra support it has given to pubs following its recent U-turn.

The IRC survey which Fed members participated in, alongside other retailers which form the Independent Retailers Confederation indicated that though overall sentiment was slightly down in Q4 of 2025 to Q4 of 2025 (with 39% reporting in the last few months of 2025 compared to the same period the year before) there was particular worry about recent business rates changes.

These indicated that just over 63% of respondents said that recent Business Rate changes had slightly or significantly reduced investment decisions – and more than 70% of businesses surveyed felt they would increase investment if Business Rates were reformed.

The Fed’s President Hetal Patel commented: “The Fed works closely with the IRC where we can so as to understand the challenges across the independent retail space.

“In common with many colleagues in the IRC, we continue to be concerned about the impact of Business Rate changes which ultimately look likely to push up future bills for members in April and the years ahead – despite some transitional relief – following the Rates revaluation and the disappointing changes to the Business Rates multiplier which was not sufficiently cut in the last Budget.

“It is very worrying if Business Rate hikes are leading to a reduction in business investment as that is what allow shops to grow by providing more services to our customers and employing more staff. As a trade association representing our members, we continue to make this argument to Government – but we welcome feedback from any of our members about how their Bills will look after the new financial year begins in April.”

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^th 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.”