Thank goodness the government has this week allowed its heart to rule its head and rejected calls to reform the Sunday trading laws in England and Wales.
We all know there's no pure economic reason why we should restrict the hours that retailers can trade on one particular day of the week in a largely secular society, where (if you can forgive me sounding like a consultant) people enjoy 24/7 lifestyles. In some ways, trying to keep Sundays special is a bit Canute-like. After all, the internet has opened up new channels of commerce that don't respect 'normal' shopping hours, while big retailers continue to meet shopper demand by flouting the rules with 'browsing time' initiatives.
But I still think it's right that we keep fighting for our Sundays. And it's great to see that analysis based on emotion, not cold business logic, has won the day.
Why? Well, for starters, there are many millions of people for whom Sunday remains a special day. You may not be one of them. But given that we are a Christian country, where the head of our state is also the head of our Church, then their views must count.
Sure, the current laws represent a typically British compromise; a fudge if you like. Yet the regulations mean that Sunday remains very different from every other day. That's important, not only for churchgoers, but also for those poor sods who already have to work in big stores for a few hours on a Sunday (and don't try to tell me they all love working on a Sunday).
Finally: so what if the current rules give the owners of small shops a tiny advantage over their bigger rivals? Like many people, I think that's actually a good thing. It's also the least these retailers deserve from a government that has a pretty lousy record when it comes to supporting small companies. And if it keeps some independents in business, so much the better.
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