“For how long will retail businesses continue to assume the crash position in the face of anti-business regulation? Isn’t it time that retail came out fighting?”

“For how long will retail businesses continue to assume the crash position in the face of anti-business regulation? Isn’t it time that retail came out fighting?”

That was Fox News’ Stuart Varney speaking at the Retail Industry Leaders Association conference I have just attended in the US.

With the economy now going slowly backwards, a crash is probably the wrong metaphor but he is raising a good question.

Head down and braced for the worst is not where you will ever find the BRC but, as we lobby for a better business environment, we do make judgements between co-operation and confrontation, assessing the issue, the circumstances and what is most likely to produce a result determines which way we go.

On occasions the time is right for landing blows – hitting out can explode a low-profile issue onto the political agenda. But our prime aim is not usually turning heads our way – our concerns tend to be well known – it is turning opinions.

That’s why we instinctively favour getting people onside, being constructive, working with politicians to help them meet their own objectives in ways that come closest to also meeting ours.

I think we are doing our bit right but what I do want is a clearer demonstration from ministers that our willingness to co-operate is generating genuine efforts to help retailers in return.

At last week’s EU summit David Cameron said again that growth and jobs are what really matter. I agree. So why so much take and so little give for the companies that are the only hope for delivering that?

Take the Public Health Responsibility Deal for England. Last year the largest food retailers – all BRC members – committed themselves to all the relevant pledges.

Now Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is holding meetings with each of the major retail chief executives. He wants them behind the next stage of the deal, which intends to remove five billion calories a day from the nation’s diet.

Some might ask, what has calorie reduction got to do with economic growth? But we back the objectives. We understand food and nutrition. We are well placed to contribute, so we do. But isn’t a deal supposed to be about mutual benefit? We are expected to make this a priority so where’s the help coming back?

Here’s one idea for now. The Health Department’s late night levy proposal is just out.

Any retailer in England or Wales selling alcohol after midnight will have to pay but there would be a 10% discount for those in alcohol reduction partnerships. Why not really reward progressive companies and make that 50%?

In America, job creation is the top issue for the presidential election.

Over here, the coalition is approaching its second anniversary and says the same, so isn’t it time business boosting replaced business bashing?

  • Stephen Robertson Director-General, British Retail Consortium