Faith leaders from across Scotland have signed an open letter to Scottish MPs urging them to block the UK government’s plans to extend Sunday trading.

The most senior Roman Catholic in Scotland Archbishop, the Most Rev Philip Tartaglia, alongside the Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland the Rev David Robertson and a representative from the Muslim Council of Scotland lead the list of signatories.

CARE’s Chief Executive Nola Leach and the charity’s National director in Scotland Dr Stuart Weir also signed the letter.

It urged Scottish MPs to resist the government’s proposed liberalisation of Sunday trading which, if passed, would be the biggest reform to Sunday shopping for 20 years.

Prior to Christmas, the government put plans to extend Sunday trading on hold after the SNP threatened to block the legislation over fears that Scottish workers would be negatively impacted.

However, when the Sunday trading plans were debated at Committee stage a few weeks ago, the SNP's spokeswoman suggested the party was happy with new protections the government had put into the legislation to protect workers.

But legal opinion commissioned by the Christian Institute from employment law expert John Bowers QC rubbished the new protections and said they were flawed.

Tory MP David Burrows, who is leading the rebellion against the government told the BBC yesterday that “increasing numbers of colleagues, as well as hopefully others as well, recognise this is unnecessary”.

This morning a story in the Daily Telegraph suggested as many as 30 SNP MPs were prepared to block the Sunday trading proposals.

Stuart Hosie, SNP Deputy Leader also told the BBC yesterday that: “Protecting Scottish workers will be paramount to our decision on Sunday trading.”

Image taken from the Keep Sunday Special website