Senior Liberal Democrat MP Joshua Reynolds repeated calls for the introduction of targeted security grants for independent retailers in Parliament last week (4 March).
Reynolds, who is the Liberal Democrat front bench spokesperson on Investment & Trade, raised the issue after previously backing the Federation of Independent Retailers’ (the Fed) long running campaign for government support to combat shoplifting.
During the debate, Reynolds said: “Every time we visit shops in our constituencies, we will hear the same things about shoplifting having effectively been decriminalised. Thieves do not face the consequences because there are no consequences, and shoplifting has risen in England and Wales over the last five years.
“Retail crime offences are not minor offences to people running these businesses - they’re haemorrhaging money.
“The Government could make available grants for every independent convenience store, covering some of that cost and working with high street lenders. This is not just our idea but is supported by the Federation of Independent Retailers.”
The Fed’s National President, Hetal Patel, added: “I’m greatly encouraged that Joshua continues to work closely with the Fed to ensure the voice of all independent retailers is heard in Parliament, particularly on the massive impact of retail crime.
“We look forward to meeting with him again in the near future and we continue to work with MPs across Westminster to highlight the impact of this problem.”
Reynolds’ comments follow earlier meetings between Fed officials and senior Lib Dem MPs, including the party’s business spokesperson, Sarah Olney, who said: “The shoplifting epidemic is a profound threat to our local businesses, our high streets, and our economy.
“With more than 800 offences going unpunished every single day, businesses are haemorrhaging money, driving up costs for consumers, and even being forced to shut their doors for good.
“That’s why we’re calling for a mass CCTV rollout, to give the businesses the tools they need to protect themselves and tackle this crime once and for all.”
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