The Shops Bill 1986 was a

parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

that would have ended government regulation of Sunday shopping in England and Wales. Introduced by the Government of Margaret Thatcher, it was defeated in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

at its

second reading A reading of a bill is a stage of debate on the bill held by a general body of a legislature. In the Westminster system, developed in the United Kingdom, there are generally three readings of a bill as it passes through the stages of becoming ...

; this is the most recent occasion at which a government bill has fallen at that stage. The Shops Act 1950 regulated Sunday shopping hours, making it illegal for shops to sell most products on a Sunday. The Auld Committee, chaired by

Robin Auld Sir Robin Ernest Auld, (born 19 July 1937) is a former Lord Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. Early life and career Born in Staines to Adelaide ( Mackie) and Ernest Auld, a toolmaker who later became a publica ...

, found that the regime established by the 1950 Act was unworkable, with arbitrary exemptions and widespread breaches by large retailers. The subsequent Auld Report recommended that the Shops Act 1950 be repealed, which the government accepted and adopted into its legislative programme. Thatcher had anticipated that the Labour Party would oppose the bill, spurred by

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s' fears that shopworkers would be forced to work on Sundays. However, she did not anticipate the backlash from

social conservatives Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional social structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social instit ...

. 72

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

backbencher In Westminster system, Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no Minister (government), governmental office and is not a Frontbencher, frontbench spokesperson ...

s defied a

three line whip A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline (that members of the party vote according to the party platform rather than their constituents, individual conscience or donors) in a legislature. Whips ...

, voting against the bill at second reading – just after midnight on the morning of 15 April 1986 – and it was defeated by 14 votes. This occasion marks one of only four times Thatcher was defeated in the

, and the only time an entire government bill was defeated during her tenure. Sunday trading was ultimately relaxed by the

Sunday Trading Act 1994 The Sunday Trading Act 1994 (c. 20) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom governing the right of Retailing, shops in England and Wales to trade on a Sunday. Buying and selling on Sunday had previously been ille ...

, the twenty-seventh attempt to do so.

Footnotes

External links

Commons vote at second reading
Proposed laws of the United Kingdom Retailing in England 1986 in British law 1986 in England Sunday shopping 1986 in Wales Retailing in Wales {{UK-law-stub

See also

Footnotes

External links