A senior official from the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) met with an MP many think could be the next Prime Minister, Wes Streeting, in his Ilford North constituency earlier his month.
The pair discussed some of the opportunities and challenges facing small shops. National trustee, Nilesh Patel, spoke about his many years of experience serving Ilford residents and the range of goods and services he provides at his business, Nils Convenience, on New North Road in Ilford.
He also spoke about the challenge caused by occasional theft, with the meeting happening just a few days after the Crime & Policing Bill became law.
Patel spoke about the work the Fed has done to promote the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for recycling, starting in October 2027. He said: “I’d like to thank Wes Streeting for his time visiting my business and talking about the various issues facing small retailers at this time – particularly given his busy schedule as my local MP and his high profile nationally.
“It was good to discuss some of the occasional issues with theft as well as feedback on business rates. I also explained how important DRS will be after it is launched next year and what the Fed is doing to boost awareness of it.”
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