Last month, I launched my “Stop Dodgy Shops” campaign in response to growing local concerns about cash-intensive businesses, like vape and barber shops, being used as fronts for organised crime and tax evasion across Portsmouth in recent years.
My campaign has not only called for an end to illicit and exploitative shopping street activity but also called for local views and ideas on what further action could be taken to prohibit and prosecute illicit activity across Portsmouth’s shopping streets.
The ultimate goal of the campaign has been to restore confidence, safety, and pride in our local businesses by building community support to crack down on rogue traders and protect Portsmouth’s shopping streets.
I welcome the action that has been taken by this Labour Government since coming into office, which is helping to address illicit and exploitative shopping street activity that is swindling Portsmouth people and undermining honest local businesses.
This includes allocating £45 million over the next 3 years towards:
- A Cross-Government Policy Taskforce mapping organised crime, money laundering and related criminality on high streets.
- Strengthening Trading Standards & enforcement
- The recruitment of 50 additional Insolvency Service staff within a new Abusive Phoenixism Taskforce
- Additional high street enforcement activity focusing on illicit tobacco and vaping products
- More targeted criminal interventions to tackle the most serious fraud and evasion by small businesses
Additionally, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which has now been passed into law, will:
- Require retailers to hold a licence to sell tobacco and vape products
- Provide Trading Standards with powers to issue £2,500 fines for underage sales
- Introduce a Vaping duty stamps scheme that will make illicit products immediately identifiable
Although work is not complete, with these decisive measures the Government has already made significant progress in stopping dodgy shops, which will help to prevent Portsmouth’s areas from being overrun by fake shops and for criminal activity.
I remain committed to ensuring that our high streets are safe, vibrant places for families and communities and will continue to support future Government action that addresses this issue and continue to call on local people and to sign my petition here.
