Sunday Trading laws srapped during Olympics

[Gromit]

// Chancellor George Osborne will risk a row with Church leaders in this week’s Budget by announcing plans to scrap Sunday trading laws for the summer.
The move – timed to coincide with the Olympics and Paralympics – means that large shops in England and Wales will be allowed to open around the clock for an eight-week period starting 22nd July. //

http://www.dailymail....x-rules-Olympics.html

Should this be permanent? Are the sunday trading rules archaic?

[weecalf]

In the not to distant future we will have theEpsom Derby on a sunday and rightly so .every day is there to be enjoyed .

[emmie]

it's time these archaic laws were scrapped, if shops want to open on sunday from dawn to dusk why can't they. our local supermarket opens at 12 on sunday, yet all the local convenience stores open as they want, some around the clock.

[jedimistress]

I'd like to keep an official day of rest please. Shops first, then they'll want you in the office on a Sunday. Sunday is the only day I don't feel guilty relaxing on. A time when you know most people aren't working, you can visit family and things. I'd like to keep the tradition - and the laws. Visitors here can chill or walk about on the Sunday like we do, rather than having to spend spend spend and fulfil the capitalist dream. The tories are only doing it for their friends.

[rockyracoon]

I have no opinion on sunday opening times but this relax in the law has been put in place because the official Olympic shops fell foul of it. Either they comply with the law or the change it permanently, just because it interferes with what they wany doesn't make it right to scrap it temporarily. Talk about 'do as I say, not do as I do'.

[NOX]

Totally archaic, irritating and unnecessary to prevent people trading on a Sunday- time it was scrapped completely.

[Gromit]

Hey my avatar has changed to a soldier shooting. How inappropriate. Time to kick ass @ gravatar.com

[jno]

not on my screen it hasn't.

I've no opinion on Sunday working - I worked most Sundays - but as jedimistress says, I wonder if people would be so strongly in favour of it if they were required to do their own jobs seven days a week?

[anotheoldgit]

I think that the large stores should close all day Sunday, if people do not have enough time to shop six days of the week, tough.

Nothing to do with religion, just setting one day out of seven as a 'special' day, a day when all the family can be together.

At one time shops were not only closed on a Sunday but also half day on Wednesday, we managed quite adequately then.

Apart from all this, think of the small corner shop, they would lose that convenience Sunday trade, the only day that they get one over the huge greedy supermarket conglomerates`.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Hey my avatar has changed to a soldier shooting. ///

Told you to watch out.

[EDDIE51]

The souvenir shops on the Olympic site would have had to close early on Sundays , thus losing profit . I think this is the real reason for the move.
Will pubs be allowed to open early to show the Olympics on Sundays as well ? I bet they won't.

[Kromovaracun]

@AOG:

Why should everyone be forced to have a family day? Why should that day be chosen for them?

[anotheoldgit]

/// Why should everyone be forced to have a family day? Why should that day be chosen for them? ///

Well then let it be any day of the week, but let's put aside one day.

Then perhaps to be seen as being truly democratic about it all, perhaps we should hold a referendum on choosing which day?

[naomi24]

If the argument against extending Sunday trading hours is that families need a day to be together, what's to stop those people having a day together? No one is forcing them to go shopping.

The church should have no say in the matter.

[rockyracoon]

The church should have no say whatsoever. It should create more jobs, but in reality I think companies will try to squeeze employees even more, I remember when sunday trading first started a couple of friends had to work sundays, it was a case of put up or shut up.

[jno]

naomi, what's stopping families having a day together is perhaps that some of them have to work? Not everyone in a shop is a customer.

[cathfromsaron]

yes keep these rules!

[naomi24]

jno, shops are already open on Sundays . If they weren’t, that would be a good point.

[Eve]

I'm all for it if it will generate additional revenue and maybe jobs and boost the economy.

Not everyone has a family around them to have a family day on a Sunday why not let those who want to work or shop and boost the economy while they are at it. In the current climate it may present an opportunity for those who need a job or extra money find more potential to work around other commitments such as care of children or dependents or studying.

[EvianBaby]

I think some of the silly restrictions need to be changed. Our local co-op is open until 10pm on a Sunday but after 5pm they have to close of a certain number of isles -usually the ones with the useful items in. I've never understood what the point of that is. Either tell them to close or let them be fully open, not half open.

[LazyGun]

Are Sunday trading laws archaic? Yep. Shops should be allowed to trade pretty much whenever they want, subject to the fair and appropriate working conditions for their staff.