Silent Crime: PM Keir Starmer questioned about ‘increasing levels of violence’ against shopworkers

In a question-and-answer session following his speech to the TUC Congress in Brighton last week, Sir Keir Starmer was asked about an increase in shoplifting and violence against retail staff.

It comes as NationalWorld has launched the Silent Crime campaign, which aims to highlight under-reported or under-investigated crimes, which often, unfairly, are seen as an inevitable blight on communities.

Jane Jones, president of the shopworkers union Usdaw, said: “I work in retail and increasing levels of violence, threats and abuse are a massive concern for me and my colleagues.

“Labour’s welcome commitment to introduce a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker, will send out a clear message that this Government takes retail crime seriously. What more will your Government do to help us feel safe at work?”

The Prime Minister replied that on recent visits to shops and supermarkets across the country, he kept hearing the same stories about violence.

He said: “On the question of offences against retail workers, this truly is shocking. Usdaw has a very important campaign on this and (general secretary) Paddy Lillis raises it with me pretty well every time we meet and rightly so. It is not acceptable and it can’t be acceptable in any circumstances. It is demoralising for the workforce and that’s why I’m pleased we can introduce an offence to deal with it.

“But we have to go further than that. We can’t have the situation where shoplifters can walk in, shoplift and walk back out again and nobody can do anything about it. We’re going to change that, work with you, we have to take it seriously. I’m not wanting to hear again from those on the front line about the appalling attacks and insults that they are subjected to.

“It’s everywhere across the country, it is really hard for the workforce to take. You have rightly championed it as a cause, we join in that cause and we will do something about it, working with trade unions on such an important issue.”