Councillor Jane Ashworth Successfully Lobbies Government for Legislation to Protect Shopworkers

Stoke-on-Trent City Council welcomes the news that the Government will be introducing legislation to protect shopworkers following a request by Council leader, Jane Ashworth.

Cllr Ashworth contacted the Home Office on Thursday 5 September following a Stoke-on-Trent City Council meeting held earlier that day. The motion was moved by Councillor Diane Williams, and seconded by Councillor Chris Robinson. Those in attendance at the meeting unanimously passed a motion on retail crime and how to protect shopworkers from rising retail crime, not only in our city but across the UK.

In her letter to the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department, Cllr Ashworth recommended that she bring forward additional legislation to protect shopworkers from retail crime.

The Home Office responded on Friday 13 September to confirm that Cllr Ashworth's recommendations had been taken into consideration, and that the government would therefore be introducing a new standalone offence for anyone assaulting a shopworker, thus protecting retail workers from potential violence. In addition, the Home Office confirmed that the government will be ending the effective immunity for low-level shoplifting of any goods under £200. As a result, anyone committing such crimes will receive greater punishments and thus will be held to account for their actions.

The council meeting on 5 September highlighted numerous worrying statistics regarding shoplifting that had led to the motion being passed. These include the following:

A 2023 report from the Co-Op Group revealed that national retail crime has been increasing, with a 35% annual increase in crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, and there were over 175,000 incidents recorded from January to June alone that year.

Research shows that many crimes (estimated at 63%) are performed by repeat and prolific offenders, some of whom are noted to have existing addictions to drugs and alcohol, as well as having links to locally organised criminal gangs.

The latest annual survey by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) revealed that shopworker abuse is higher now than it had been prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. The impact is that shopworkers have felt threatened and afraid by facing abuse in the workplace, as well as damaging the reputation of local communities, with some smaller stores having to close as a result.

Meanwhile, prior to the announced changes by the Home Office, police officers have not been able to attend reported retail crimes due to the police force's resources being pressured, and the police cuts delivered by the previous Government and its austerity measures.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council Leader, Jane Ashworth advised: "The response by the Home Office was warmly received here at Stoke-on-Trent City Council and should serve as reassurance for retail workers across the city. For too long, retail crime has been increasing, and shopworkers have felt intimidated in their place of work when that should never be the case. This has been especially troubling due to the reduced punishments that criminals were previously facing.

"Moving forward, the new specific offence for assault on shopworkers means that those guilty of committing such crimes will face the full force of the law, and this will result in the number of incidents decreasing, thus making life as a retail worker much safer in the long run.

"We welcome the Government taking our recommendations on board, and it demonstrates that people are being listened to and that real change is happening which will benefit residents in our city and across the United Kingdom."