Shannon Meets FIR President In Comber

The Federation of Independent Retailers Meets With Strangford MP Jim Shannon in Comber, County Down

The Federation of Independent Retailers met with Democratic Unionist MP, Jim Shannon, in Comber in Northern Ireland on Friday 16^th January at Livingstone’s Newsagents. The visit was hosted by the Federation’s president in Northern Ireland, Ms Julie Brown, who co-owns and runs the business along with her brother Jim Livingstone.

Their shop is located on Bridge Street in the centre of the town near Strangford Lough in the Strangford constituency of the Westminster Parliament. Also in attendance was the Federation’s membership services manager Gwen Patterson.

The meeting with the Federation representatives highlighted the value of small independent shops to local communities across Northern Ireland and the wider UK and Ireland. And it flagged up the social and economic role they play at the heart of their communities.

Jim Shannon MP said: “It was an extremely positive meeting and I was delighted to meet with Julie, Jim and Gwen from the Federation.

“I look forward to working with them in the future to highlight the work of the Federation and what we can do locally, and what I can do as a Member of Parliament from Westminster to amplify its message.”

Ms Brown said: “We were pleased that Mr Shannon took the time to visit the business and listen to the points that I raised about the cost of doing business, as well as issues around theft and the challenges posed by rogue trade including the illicit trade of tobacco and what can be done to stop it.

“I will be happy to work with him in the future and to continue to work on the points we raised.

“However, we emphasised the danger that if the rising business costs I identified such as higher taxes – particularly higher National Insurance contributions – and energy costs are not addressed. then they are likely to lead to shorter shop opening hours and cutting staff hours.”