Labour's Second Budget - a note from our CEO, Kate Rand

Government Budgets bring anxiety and change for individuals and businesses alike. This afternoon, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her second Budget. Alongside wider aims on NHS waiting lists, cost of living and debt, there was a clear signal for our world: more enforcement, more scrutiny and higher expectations on anyone selling age-restricted or high-risk products.

In her Budget announcement, the Chancellor confirmed additional funding to enhance Trading Standards capabilities and fund an uplift of at least 45 additional law enforcement officers, targeted at tackling organised criminality and money laundering on our high streets. At Serve Legal, we are pleased to see this investment into safer streets and stronger Trading Standards operations. Extra enforcement should mean more illicit products removed from shelves and retailers held to higher standards of age verification compliance. Hopefully, we see fewer young people accessing illegal vapes and tobacco, and more knives taken off our streets, keeping our young people safe.

We have been pleased to see investment into our streets through schemes such as the Pride in Place programme. In recent months, we have met with the Home Office and MHCLG to bring exclusive data from our safety perception and environmental mapping audits to light. For the team at Serve Legal, we are passionate to see change in our streets, towns and city centres; changes that makes them more safe and more welcoming. We hope to continue delivering this service to offer BIDs and place makers clear insight into safety and welfare in their areas. We welcome the Government continuing to increase investment into the safety of our streets and the wellbeing of our citizens.

Reforms to gambling duties, tougher action on illicit vapes and tobacco, and higher expectations on retailers and operators all point in the same direction: it is cheaper to keep compliance rock-solid than to face fines or risk a licence when margins are already being squeezed. We have been supporting companies with our place management services, age verification audit programmes, as well as wider compliance and mystery shopping schemes, helping retailers understand what is really happening in and around their sites.

With the increase in Trading Standards operations, it is more important than ever that businesses are confident in their compliance and are ready to prove it at the drop of a hat. That is where Serve Legal comes in: practical checks, clear evidence and a straightforward aim – to protect young people, support responsible businesses and make our shared spaces safer.

In light of today’s Budget, we pledge to continue investing our time, resources and business revenue to help our clients deliver actionable, tangible change – keeping our streets, shops, hospitality venues and citizens safe from the impacts of illicit or non-compliant sales.

If today’s Budget has raised questions about your readiness for increased enforcement, our Service Managers are on hand to talk. Contact the team to discuss how we can help.