BRC backs Labour shoplifting stance

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has backed the Labour party’s stance on shoplifting and violence against retail staff.

Sir Keir Starmer announced at the Labour party conference that it intends to create a specific new offence of assault against retail workers.

The party also announced its intention to roll back the policy of the Conservatives which stated that the police would investigate instances of shoplifting which were worth over £200.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We will stand with USDAW, with the Coop, with Tesco, with our convenience stores, with retailers and shop workers across the country, with a new law and tougher sentences for attacks on our shop workers because everyone has the right to feel safe at work.”

Over 90 retailers recently wrote to the Home Secretary to raise concerns about rising crime rates and call for a standalone offence to be implemented.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “With over 850 incidents of violence or abuse every single day, we need action to protect our retail colleagues. We welcome the Labour Party and the Shadow Home Secretary’s commitment to introduce a new law to protect retail workers from violence and abuse.

“We need a standalone offence to improve the visibility of the issue, so that police can allocate appropriate resources to the challenge, and to act as a deterrent to would-be offenders. This would also send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated. Everyone has the right to feel safe at work.”

She added: “At a cost of almost £1bn a year, we must also address the scourge of retail theft. Yvette Cooper has clearly heard the concerns of the industry, and we welcome her pledge to tackle all shoplifting.”