Dismay at Sunday trading laws move

The government's use of emergency legislation to force through a suspension of Sunday trading rules during the Olympics has left shopworkers 'bitterly disappointed', their union has said. MPs voted through The Sunday Trading (London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) Bill on 30 April, after just nine hours consideration and debate in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. The legislation will suspend the Sunday trading laws in England and Wales for eight weeks this summer starting from 22 July.

In a break with the convention that MPs have a free vote on the issue of Sunday trading, Coalition MPs were subject to a three-line whip, meaning all Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs were compelled to back the Bill. The shopworkers' union Usdaw said the government's decision to deny its MPs a free vote reflected the shambolic way the issue had been handled and the failure of the government to make a convincing case for the suspension. Responding to the vote, Usdaw general secretary John Hannett said 'only a handful of large commercial interests who would prefer a permanent deregulation of Sunday trading backed the temporary suspension.' He added: 'The vast majority of shopworkers are against longer Sunday opening hours and they will be bitterly disappointed by the vote. Thousands of our members contacted their MP to ask them to vote against this Bill and they will feel let down by the many MPs who failed to recognise the importance of shopworkers having time off with their families. While the government has said this Bill is only a temporary measure, Usdaw will monitor the situation very closely and we will campaign hard against any further deregulation should the Coalition fail to live up to its commitment."

Usdaw news release. House of Commons votes, 30 April 2012.