Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has launched the Conservatives’ 2024 General Election Manifesto, pledging to cut taxes and reintroduce previous legislation if they were to form the next Government.

The manifesto, published today (11th June 2024), includes a number of commitments to continue with legislation that was interrupted by the dissolution of Parliament as a result of the Prime Minister calling the General Election on July 4th. This includes the reintroduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to put in place a generational ban on tobacco along with further restrictions on vaping products, as well as the reintroduction of the measures proposed in the Criminal Justice Bill which include a separate offence for assaulting retail workers.

Pledges announced in the Conservative manifesto relevant to convenience stores include:

Employment

• Fund 100,000 high-quality apprenticeships for young people.
• Maintain the National Living Wage at two-thirds of median earnings, with current forecasts suggesting it will rise to around £13 per hour by the end of the Parliament. 

Business Taxation

• Increasing the business rates multiplier on distribution warehouses that support online shopping over time.
• Rule out raising the rate of corporation tax and extend “full expensing” to allow businesses to deduct the full cost of certain capital investments from their taxable profits.

High Streets

• Provide 105 towns in the UK with a £20 million endowment fund for local people to change their town’s future.
• Change planning laws to support places to bring back local market days and regenerate defunct shopping centres. 

Product Regulation

• Bring forward the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the first King’s Speech.
• Legislate to restrict the advertising of products high in fat, salt and sugar.

Crime

• Toughen sentences for knife crime, grooming gangs and assaults against retail workers and combat the ability of serious organised crime gangs to use new technology to harm the public.
• Turn criminals away from the cycle of reoffending, investing in rehabilitative services such as drug treatment, education and employment.

Throughout the General Election campaign, ACS is encouraging retailers to make the most of the opportunity to invite prospective parliamentary candidates into store to explain the issues that are affecting their business both locally and nationally. 

ACS has put together a guide on how to run a store visit as well as a useful online tool to request a visit with candidates, all of which is available in the ACS Election Centre here.