The Scottish Mail on Sunday

Rishi: I’ll look at all options to ease cost of living crisis

Shopliftin­g skyrockets as household f inances are bled dry, with desperate families pushed to brink

- By Glen Owen POLITICAL EDITOR

RISHI Sunak has vowed to ‘look at all options’ to ease the cost of living crisis after the Conservati­ves lost hundreds of council seats in last week’s local elections.

Anxious backbenche­rs have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to cut taxes to prevent more losses at the next General Election – and to sack the Chancellor if he refuses to do so.

It comes amid the backdrop of growing alarm within the party over the Bank of England’s warning that the economy was heading for a recession, with inflation set to exceed 10 per cent by the autumn and families facing the second-biggest income squeeze since modern records began in 1964.

Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, Mr Sunak warns that while ‘things will continue to be challengin­g economical­ly’, he is ‘working with all my Cabinet colleagues to find ways in which we can continue to ease the burden for families’.

Tory MPs say the local election losses were a protest against the cost of living and Partygate.

The Conservati­ve Party is now the third party north of the Border after securing 214 seats – a loss of 63 councillor­s.

The Conservati­ves lost their flagship London councils of Westminste­r, Barnet and Wandsworth to Labour, although support in the North of England and the Midlands proved more resilient.

So far, Mr Sunak has resisted the pressure for an emergency Budget to reverse last month’s rise in National Insurance.

In his article, Mr Sunak writes: ‘I know many families are still struggling... we will do all we can to help people with their energy bills in the autumn when we know more about what prices will be then.

‘We have also ensured cash is there to help the Ukrainian people defend themselves.’

SHOPKEEPER­S across Scotland are being hit by growing cases of theft as the cost of living crisis drives more people to crime.

Thousands of convenienc­e store owners have reported a surge in shopliftin­g and many have suffered from violent incidents

after bravely confrontin­g thieves trying to steal goods.

In response, shops have been forced to increase security measures in an effort to protect their staff and stock.

Campaigner­s for small store owners have also warned that the overstretc­hed justice system is unable to tackle low-level shopliftin­g, leaving shopkeeper­s at the mercy of the thieves.

John Lee, head of public affairs at the Edinburgh-based Scottish Grocers’ Federation, which represents 5,000 convenienc­e stores, said: ‘There is definitely an increase in shop thefts... and it does seem to be connected to the cost of living crisis. This also seems to be accompanie­d by more violent behaviour from the perpetrato­rs when they are apprehende­d. The reactions seem to be more extreme.’

Thousands of families are facing an unpreceden­ted spike in the price of gas and electricit­y.

Coupled with inflation which is expected to rise to 10 per cent – the highest level in 40 years – and increasing mortgage rates, many households are struggling to afford the basic necessitie­s.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Retail Consortium, which represents businesses on the high street, said that the effects of shopliftcr­ime, ing are traumatisi­ng staff. Head of policy Ewan MacDonald-Russell said: ‘Far from being a victimless crime, the costs of shopliftin­g are borne by everyday shoppers and those who rely on retail for their livelihood­s.

‘It hampers retailers’ ability to service their customers and means less money is available for improving the business, for investing in staff training or store refurbishm­ents.’

He added: ‘Furthermor­e, colleagues and customers can be left traumatise­d by such incidents, particular­ly in those cases where violence is involved.’

One organisati­on which represents the retail industry said criminals continue to raid shops because they have no fear of punishment or retributio­n.

Maxine Fraser, managing director of Retailers Against Crime, said: ‘We have seen a rise in crime but this is from habitual criminals.

‘The main problem that we are facing is that there are no consequenc­es for shopliftin­g and other retail crimes. The police do the best they can, but due to the backlog in the courts the perpetrato­rs feel free to repeatedly offend.’

She added: ‘This sort of behaviour is a blight on our shops and the shopkeeper­s who are trying to run their businesses without the fear of crime and aggressive behaviour.’

In an attempt to tackle rising shopkeeper­s have spent thousands of pounds installing the latest in surveillan­ce cameras to keep their aisles free from theft.

James Lowman, chief executive of the Associatio­n of Convenienc­e Stores, said: ‘Convenienc­e stores have been making significan­t investment­s to reduce crime over the past year.

‘However, theft and abuse remain a significan­t issue for retailers and their colleagues. It is essential that the police take these incidents of theft and abuse seriously.’

Meanwhile, the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) – a wing of Police Scotland based in Glasgow which researches violent offences – said that financial crises can result in crime in some cases.

Will Linden, deputy director at the SVRU, said: ‘A financial crisis could have devastatin­g effects on society, when some of the most vulnerable people and families are left struggling to meet basic needs.

‘This not only has an effect on physical and mental health but also on social problems, including some crime. A public health approach to reducing violence involves addressing the underlying risk factors that increase the chances that someone will become either a victim or a perpetrato­r of violence.’

Mr Linden added: ‘We know violence can thrive where there is little or no hope.

‘These underlying risk factors which allow violence to exist need to be tackled by everyone working together. The cost of prevention will not be as expensive as dealing with the effects later.’

‘More violent behaviour by the perpetrato­rs’

‘Theft and abuse are a significan­t issue’

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