Wakefield MP Mary Creagh says no to extending Sunday trading hours

That’s the view of Wakefield MP Mary Creagh who has condemned proposals by the government to allow stores to open for longer.

Chancellor George Osborne wants to give towns and cities the power to relax current laws on Sunday trading,

In England and Wales, stores over 3,000 sq ft in size can open for only six hours between 10am and 6pm. Retailers can be fined up to £50,000 if they break the rules.

Mr Osborne wants to change the law to allow stores to open for longer, which he claims would increase sales and boost the economy.

If the plans are given the go-ahead, large retailers could operate for 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

Ms Creagh said: “I am against the proposals to relax Sunday trading. I know how important it is to spend time with the family on Sundays.

“It is a concern that if one city like Leeds decides to do support the plans then others around it will think they have to do it. People in Wakefield do not want to do their grocery shopping at 2am.

“A lot of retailers do not want the changes so I will be voting against the plans.”

In a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, a group of 200 MPs and council leaders said that increasing spending on Sundays would boost job prospects and help shops compete with online retailers.