Government plans to liberalise Sunday trading across England and Wales have been defeated in the House of Commons today by 317 votes to 286.

Tory rebels joined forces in an ‘unholy’ alliance with the SNP and the Labour party to support amendment number one in David Burrowes' name which deletes the Sunday trading plans from the Enterprise bill.

The government tried to persuade rebels by promising to introduce an amendment in the House of Lords that would see pilot schemes introduced which local authorities could apply for.

But in a clear rejection of this last ditch attempt to shore up support, 317 MPs still rejected the government’s pleas and supported amendment one that will now see Sunday trading proposals deleted from the Enterprise bill.

CARE’s Chief Executive Nola Leach said:

“You cannot put a price on the importance of family life and so we are delighted MPs have kicked the government’s pointless Sunday trading plans into the long grass.

“The government have brought this defeat on themselves by bringing these anti-family plans back and doing so in a manner that denied MPs and Peers the chance to properly scrutinise the proposals.

“The total lack of transparency and the failure to publish the impact assessment of these proposals on family life until a few hours before the debate today is nothing short of lamentable.

“Given the quite extraordinary way the government have handled this whole business, it should be no surprise MPs rallied to defeat further liberalisation to Sunday trading across England and Wales.

“These proposals would have undermined small businesses, put new pressures on shop workers who do not want to work longer hours and eroded time off in common for families.

“Today’s outcome is the right result and a victory for families, workers, small businesses and all the other groups who opposed these wholly unnecessary and unpopular plans.”

Notes to Editors:

For more information please contact James Mildred on 07581153693 / 02072274731 or email james.mildred@care.org.uk

CARE has spoken out already about the government’s plans:

http://www.care.org.uk/news/latest-news/blatant-lack-transparency-over-sunday-trading-plans

http://www.care.org.uk/news/latest-news/sunday-trading-battle-moves-report-stage

http://www.care.org.uk/news/latest-news/sunday-trading-plans-back-agenda