Why do the SNP oppose new Sunday trading in England and Wales?

Why on earth should workers in Scotland feel betrayed and let down by a law that doesn't affect them ?!!!! It doesn't make a grain of sense! The SNP would be the first to shout foul, the other way around. I thought they weren't getting involved in laws that didn't affect them! What a pathetic, hypocritical crew they are. In the name of God, (have another referendum and) GO!

They are making out that if firms in England and Wales don't have to pay enhanced Sunday pay rates for workers, then firms in Scotland will get bolshy and decide they're not paying Scottish workers extra either.

Is that really likely to happen?

I can understand how you feel, nigglynellie. This is exactly the reaction the SNP are trying to provoke, but as a Scot, I feel saddened that our fellow UK citizens are being pushed to react like this.

The SNP are nationalists and they may be socialists but they are NOT democrats.

They should not be allowed to destroy our country. Their separatist agenda was rejected in the 2014 "once in a lifetime" referendum and that should be the end of it.

This is getting out of hand. Please 'keep the heid' and do not resort to swearing at all the Scots. This bill was presented in the UK Parliament to which the 54 SNP MPs and 5 others (2 Independent, 1 Labour, 1 Liberal and 1 Conservative) were as democratically elected as any other MPs. I suspect that this Bill was not taken under EVEL as it also directly affects Wales.

Can anyone enlighten us as to why the Labour Party MPs are opposing this bill? and the score or so Conservatives? What is the position of the Liberals and the other minor Parties?

BTW Pay rates are not set by the Scottish Government but by the employers in negotiation with the Unions. It is USDAW who have led the campaign against this Bill.

I'm so embarrassed to be Scottish. Please please believe that not everyone one up here is pro SNP.

Varian, I too feel very sad at now feeling the way I do. Before the referendum I was very pro the union as I felt, and still do feel that in this difficult and dangerous world we live in, together with our shared history both bad and some good(!) that we are all much better together. Also I love these islands and that certainly includes Scotland; we've had wonderful holidays, visited Stirling Castle, Edinburgh, even Bannockburn!! Been met with extreme kindness and hospitality, taken enormous pride in the Scottish regiments, they look, like the others, so very splendid, but listening to the obvious hostility towards England from Holyrood and beyond is just p***s off making to say the least, and if they really want to go, then get on with it, we don't care anymore, (except of course we do!!) Sorry if this sounds aggrieved, as I certainly don't want to offend you and while I can understand wanting independence, I can't understand this attitude bordering on hatred.

Varian and Jane10

Another thought is that the SNP are effectively preventing the English and Welsh high streets from competing against the on line retailers ( who are open 24/7) whilst allowing their "own" high streets to do so.

If Scottish shop workers are currently paid this Sunday premium why should this stop if England/Wales were allowed to open too? Surely the Scottish workers have contracts of employment that spell out their rates of pay.

In any case I can't see why it makes any difference to the SNP. If for example Marks and Spencer pay their Newcastle shop assistants £10 per hour on a Sunday and the Edinburgh shop assistants £10.20 per hour and their London workers £15. It's hardly new is it?

If the SNP are so against this why not push to reverse the Scottish opening hours and make the whole of the UK the same?

I don't think the SNO are against Sunday trading. They are just giving two fingers to Labour or some playing some other silly political game.

P

I don't think they are either thatbags . They just seem to be against anything that might even slightly benefit England and Wales. The fact that Scotland already "enjoy" the benefits is just hypocrisy.

Quite honestly, I cannot understand all the furore about weekend working, as in this instance of Sunday trading, and other working people objecting to working at weekends.

It has been stated on other threads that we are no longer a Christian country, few people go to church on Sundays with any regularity, so why such a fuss about working on a Sunday - or being paid extra for it? Double standards if you ask me.

I don't think many people expect to be paid more for working Sunday's these daysJalima and I don't think this situation has anything whatsoever to do with religion.

You're right gillybob.
I was just thinking about the SNP and wondering if they are a particularly religious lot

Children are in school five days , yes many women work Sunday but this would mean even more would, these leaves the children one day a week with their mother. It will also affect small shops and we are losing many now

What about the mothers who work on Sundays that are not shop workers? Maybe they are in warehouses putting forward items purchased by buyers on the internet on a sunday 'all day'. I had to work Sundays and so did my hubby, we didn't get enhanced rates of pay either.

Anyway the vote went 317 ayes 286 No So thanks to the opposition and SNP prodominantly England and Wales do not have the same opportunity to shop as long as they can in Scotland on Sundays.. SNP Hypocrites , yes in my opinion on this particular subject.

yes, let's all go back to the 1950's shall we?
life has moved on, and work and leisure have changed, why should shops close at 4 pm on Sunday, high time to move to a different way of thinking and living.Lots of younger people and also retired people would welcome having a job on Sunday, and the rest of us would like Sunday trading to be like any other day. The keep Sunday Special brigade can do as they please, including going to church AND shopping.

yes, the SNP are hypocrites to a man [or woman.]

yes, the SNP are hypocrites to a man [or woman.]

I entirely agree roses with both your last postings!

Bet they're all having a good snigger now about having got one over on the English - again!

I nipped over to my local club for a quick snifter and they were talking about it.

I think the general feeling was it was bugger all to do with the SNP as they can make their law in Scotland and as for those who voted against longer opening hours they felt they were stopping people choosing what and how they spend their free time. They also thought the economy could benefit from longer hours, depending on the town, mostly tourist areas.

If you think about it I could be in York on a beautiful sunny weekend as a tourist but York 'shuts up shop' at 4pm after only getting going at 10am in the larger stores..A lot of people move on to the pub to keep the day worthwhile . I could be a tourist in Edinburgh still experiencing a shopping experience and all the foot fall to other businesses non retail which will stay open longer making more revenue. Hmmm

Bet they're all having a good snigger now about having got one over on the English - again!
I think that's about the level of it, nothing to do with workers' rights etc, just using that as an excuse to look virtuous.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jan/17/what-is-west-lothian-question