31 March 2010 – pedlars win right to trade
Pedlars win right to trade in Bournemouth & Manchester city centres
The good people of these cities who want pedlars to remain a part of their shopping experience have won major concessions against Bournemouth and Manchester Councils in fighting a 3 year battle in Parliament.
David Murphy, a pedlar who sells the WORLDsmallestKITE petitioned Parliament against the Manchester City Council bill in 2007. He was asked by the Select Committee to write down on a blank piece of paper what it was that he wanted in the bill that would allow him to continue trading in the cities. When the bills were returned for debate to the floor of the House of Commons, three pages of draconian clauses concerning seizure, confiscation and fixed penalty notices were torn out of the bill thanks to Christopher Chope MP who debated for pedlary.
These private bills have wasted £100,000+ each of charge-payers money on attempting to get around a public statute that safeguards pedlars right to trade in the city centre. The Pedlars Act is directly responsible for the iconic M&S brand of every city centre and motorway shop. Both Councils tried to get Parliament to restrict pedlars free trade to only door-to-door selling but failed and pedlars now have clear guidelines that entitle them to continue trading in the city centre without interference from authority.
Thanks to the widespread public support of pedlary reported by Durham University to the minister for Business Innovation and Skills, BIS is currently consulting with pedlars how best to legislate nationally to protect their trade and when this is concluded the Bournemouth Borough Council Act and the Manchester City Council Act will be repealed along with seven others. The people of Bournemouth and Manchester have every right to ask why it is that their council has used their money so wastefully.
The battle has been a David – v – Goliath and it shows that a common person can rightfully petition Parliament for just law against promoters and highly paid mercenaries who peddle a different trade against citizens’ liberties enshrined in Statute.
Any person in the United Kingdom above the age of seventeen has the liberty to apply for a pedlars certificate for £12.50 to trade any place in Bournemouth and Manchester. This law began in 1871 and Parliament has now determined that it should continue. Four further private bills are currently due to be heard by Select Committee but a reported 50 local authorities that indicated interest in the process have been dropped because of pedlars opposition.
For more information about pedlary visit https://pedlars.info.
pedlars.info@gmail.com