Lucy Powell MP visited Sainsburys on Molsey Street in Manchester, as part of the USDAW Union Respect Shop Workers Week to meet and talk to shop workers about their experience with assault and shoplifting. With shoplifting under the Conservatives essentially becoming decriminalised leading to huge increases in retail violence and abuse with record crime levels leading to over £2 billion in losses over the past few years.

This Labour government will bring forward stronger measures on retail crime to tackle shoplifting and anti-social behaviour by working with the retail industry and police. These strong measure include the £200 threshold of ‘low level theft’ being removed as well as a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker to ensure that customer facing retail workers are protected from abuse and assault.

It is also extremely important that the police strengthen their relationships with retailers and strengthen sharing information which has meant a high number of high harm offenders being brought to justice. This government is standing up for retail workers and protecting retailers through strong legislation.