The Fed meets with Plaid Cymru and Lib Dem candidates in Cardiff

The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) met with Nick Carter, one of the Plaid Cymru candidates for the new six-member Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf constituency that will be centred around the northern and eastern parts of the Welsh capital in the new Welsh Senedd that will be elected on May 7, as well as councillor Rodney Berman who will be standing for the Liberal Democrats. The meetings were held at Albany Road Post Office, which is run by the Fed’s new Welsh president, Mark Dudden.

Mr Carter explained his interest in real estate having spent much of his professional life as a commercial property surveyor working with closely with many retailers on their valuation work. He now sits third on the Plaid Cymru list for the six-member constituency which will be elected by a Proportional Representation method in May’s election. Because of his valuation experience, Mr Carter said he fully understood the concerns Fed members have about rising business rate bills following the recent revaluation. He also spoke about Plaid Cymru’s aspiration to bring down business rate bills for small businesses, including independent shops, after the election.

The Fed was also represented by its political engagement coordinator Douglas Oliver. Both he and Mr Dudden spoke about its support for the proposed deposit return scheme (DRS) for recycling as long as it was cost-neutral for retailers and also so long as the Welsh government did not commit to including glass from day one of the scheme.

Mr Carter said: “I was delighted to speak with Mark and visit his business which is close to where I live and is one I use frequently. I know how vital its services are to local people. It was good to discuss some of the key concerns facing Fed members across Wales, particularly on rising business rate bills, the Welsh DRS and retail crime. My Plaid colleagues and I look forward to working closely with the Fed after the election in May and I am sure I will be stopping into use Albany Road soon!”

The meeting with Mr Berman touched on similar topics, with concerns about theft and retail crime highlighted, particularly its call for greater action from Neighbourhood Police teams. The Fed spoke about its work on developing a retail security grant focused on small shops who feel especially vulnerable, along with Liberal MPs in Westminster, including Sarah Olney and Joshua Reynolds.

Mr Berman, who currently sits on Cardiff City Council for the nearby ward of Penylan, said: “It was a very useful meeting. I frequently visit the shop and the post office, so I know how important it is for people. If elected, I am committed to pushing for more action to level the playing field for independent high street shops on their business rate bills, as well as greater action to tackle retail crime. I look forward to working more closely with the Fed on these important topics moving forward.”

Mr Dudden said: “I was very impressed by Nick and Rodney’s interest and knowledge about retail. In particular, we stressed our concerns about DRS in Wales, which has been slowed down by the distraction of possibly recycling glass in the scheme, which would be difficult for retailers to manage day to day, because of the weight and debris of glass, at a time when glass recycling is strong anyway. Whilst we look forward to the publication of the parties’ manifestos and more detailed policy commitments, we were pleased with what they both had to say and look forward to working with all parties elected to the Senedd after the May election.”