Giving communities more power over their local economies

Liberal Democrats believe in giving communities, businesses and individuals choice and freedom and that should include the right to have a say over Sunday trading hours in their local area.

Our market system should balance businesses’ needs and the rights and freedoms of workers.

The current Sunday trading laws in England and Wales don’t allow local authorities to decide Sunday opening hours in their local community. 

Sunday trading laws were last reformed in 1994, moving from an outright ban to restricted opening hours. During the 2012 Olympics Sunday trading laws were suspended.

In Scotland, powers to regulate Sunday trading are devolved. Scotland has chosen to liberalise Sunday trading while protecting workers’ rights.

Our new policy passed today would devolve power to regulate Sunday trading to local authorities in England and to the Welsh Government.

This would allow communities to decide for themselves the best regulations to suit people and businesses in their own areas. Local areas know their own local economy better than anyone else and are best placed to decide their own rules.

We would also introduce new measures to protect workers who do not want to work on Sundays.