Cross at Easter shop law

Richard Butt
28/ 3/2008

I KNOW that I can go shopping on 363 days of the year. Just two remain free from most retailing – Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

But I do find it annoying that I cannot, if I choose, go and buy some bedding plants when I want to.

OK, so on Sunday I was ankle-deep in snow and working anyway, so it was pretty unlikely that I’d have been and queued in B&Q for some begonias or busy lizzies.

Instead, I did a story about the issue for Channel M News.

Unsurprisingly, everyone coming out of the Festal Eucharist service at Manchester Cathedral was against further liberalisation of the Sunday trading laws.

I can stand the nannyish "it’s a day for the family" sentiments and the workers’ rights arguments. It’s the religious stuff I cannot stomach.

I don’t believe. I think religion is at best nonsense and at worst it’s dangerous superstition. I fail to see why some people who believe what I see as a load of illogical tosh should have any sway over the way I live my life.

Worst than that, I’m even supposed to "respect" poppycock views. Cue the Christians moaning that they’re a persecuted minority, blah, blah, blah. They say that in one breath and then justify their control over my life by saying "It’s a Christian country" in the next. Make your minds up!

I’m not biased. I feel the same about Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Paganism. I wouldn’t want their views or laws to influence my life, either.

For some ancient and bizarre reason, bishops automatically get into the House of Lords and can help make the law of the land. If we cannot stop that, we atheists, secularists and humanists should have equal unelected representation. Who’s really the under-represented minority when it comes to parliament?

Anyway, back to the law. Shops of more than 3,000 square feet are not, by law, allowed to open on Easter Sunday.

I talked to quite a number of wannabe shoppers who thought it would be business as usual and popped into town to shop. Most were peeved that their plans had been ruined.

A few of the shops under 3,000 sq ft opened. But most stayed shut. So going shopping – even knowing the big shops would be shut – was a gamble. Since 1992 when the Sunday Trading laws were changed, Sunday has become the second-biggest retailing day in the week.

It’s clear what the general population wants from the general population’s behaviour. I don’t particularly enjoy going shopping and I feel a bit daft arguing for the right to do so.

But those who want Easter to be special could carry on going to church and spending quality time with their families if the shops were open. Those of us unimaginative enough to spend our days off shopping wouldn’t be stopping them.

Richard Butt edits Channel M’s early evening news – every weeknight from 5pm