The National Liberal Party is well known for supporting local shops – and in this case, self-employed workers as well. Whilst supporting your local shops, we’d also urge consumers to Buy British & use cash wherever possible.

FROM DAY ONE, the National Liberal Party has always championed local shops.  We’ve spent years pointing out the advantages of having small – and usually family-run – shops on the doorstop.   

We’ve always acknowledged that times are hard and price considerations are obviously very important.  However, we feel that local shops are more than a convenient place to shop.  They’re actually an essential part of the glue that helps to maintain community spirit – a place to bump into friends, neighbours and relatives.  

The shopkeeper, as a self-employed businessman or woman, also plays a vital role in the local economy.  Indeed, these small shops collectively employ hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the length and breadth of Britain.  As such, they represent an important – but often overlooked – economic bloc.  

In addition to shopping locally, we’d also like to see consumers buying and supporting British products wherever possible.  

Again, the NLP has been running a Buy British campaign for several years now.  Here, we thought that it made perfect sense to protect and enhance our industries.  Our campaign is a positive one & advocates a policy of ‘National Preference’.  Here, the three key elements are self-sufficiency, sovereignty & sustainability.   

We mentioned that our Buy British policy is a positive one.  It’s also one of common sense.  The government’s shambolic response to Covid showed this.  Here we had to import PPE items – some of which weren’t fit for purpose and are presumably being stored awaiting a decision on what to do with them.   

These PPE items could & should’ve been wholly produced here.  That’s what we mean by buying British.  

As well as shopping locally & buying British, we also feel that it’s important that consumers be given a choice as to their method of payment.  

We’ve noticed that some businesses are now insisting on card payments only.  We’ve absolutely no objection if someone wants to live their life using plastic. What we’re saying is that there should be a choice.  

This is because many people simply prefer to deal in cash.   

For some, it’s just the way they’ve been brought up.  For others, it’s a way of managing their personal finances.  After all, when dealing in cash, you can’t spend what you haven’t got!  

There are practical reasons for keeping cash as well.  If the internet went down – or even if there was some form of electrical blackout – nobody would be able to make a card payment.  It would be impossible just to buy a few essential everyday items.  

With all of the above in mind, our message is both clear & simple:  Shop Local, Buy British & Use Cash!