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With a General Election in the Westminster Parliament fast-approaching, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has developed a manifesto that sets out what the Trading Standards profession wants the next Government to focus on - to build back Trading Standards Services, to better protect consumers, and to ensure that we have the right levels of regulation in the UK to support business innovation and growth.

Helping Local Communities and Businesses to Prosper: Our Trading Standards professionals are part of the fabric of everyday life in the UK. Local place-based regulation is critical to the success of the Government’s Smarter Regulation aims. Each and every day Trading Standards:

• Prevent rogue traders perpetrating crimes against consumers, preying on the public (including older people or the most vulnerable) with false claims and scams.
• Stop the sale of counterfeit goods and dangerous toys and products from entering the marketplace.
• Ensure that the food you eat comes from a robust supply chain and contains what it says on the label.
• Stop young children buying cigarettes, alcohol and vapes.
• Ensures property agents act fairly with consumers who are buying or renting their home.

Why is Our Manifesto Needed? This is a challenging time for UK consumers and our economy. Price hikes in retail, energy, rent, insurance and food sectors have hit the poorest in society the hardest. The growth in global trade has seen an exponential rise in imported counterfeit and unsafe products. It is estimated that the sale of counterfeit goods costs the UK exchequer £1.3 billion. Trading Standards teams have found that as many as half of imports that were checked contained unsafe products and were refused entry, including toys and e-scooters.

What Does Our Manifesto Say?: Our manifesto has been developed with the support of CTSI’s members, and those working in regulation, consumer protection and business. It focuses on the following 3 key strands:

1. Building Back Trading Standards Services
2. Enhancing Consumer Protection
3. Helping Businesses Innovate and Prosper

Download Your Copy

Please click the one of the following links to download our Manifesto 2024 (as a pdf), or if you'd like to find out more about our policy positions, please email policy@tsi.org.uk

Click here for CTSI's Manifesto 2024 (pdf)