Member

The Bill comes against a backdrop of serious concerns expressed across the retail sector and licensed trade—the Association of Convenience Stores’ comment on the Bill was lukewarm to say the least—and some of the biggest retailers, such as Sainsbury’s, about the damage the Budget in general and the Bill in particular do to employment and pay. When my party reflects on the things we are proud of that we did in government, what stands out for me is that 4 million more people were in work in this country than when we took office and youth unemployment was halved in our time in office. The Bill puts the financial wellbeing of the families included in those statistics at risk.