Starmer to pledge crackdown on shoplifting 'free-for-all' as pressure mounts on prime minister

Ministers are this morning highlighting efforts to crack down on a shoplifting "free-for-all". They're introducing a new specific offence of assaulting a retail worker - something Labour pledged to do in their 2024 election manifesto - as well as closing the £200 shoplifting "loophole". Current policing rules define shoplifting below £200 as "low value", which forces often don't investigate. The British Retail Consortium says this has led to a perception among crime groups that police do not consider it as a "real" crime. The measures are part of the government's Crime and Policing Bill, which should become law in the coming days before parliament closes ahead of the King's Speech. Live updates ➡️ https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-keir-starmer-peter-mandelson-vetting-commons-iran-war-olly-robbins-12593360 #Starmer #KeirStarmer #PrimeMinister #Speech #Shoplifting #Crime #Live SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos: http://www.youtube.com/skynews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skynews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skynews Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skynews For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-news/id316391924?mt=8 Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skynews.android&hl=en_GB Listen to our new podcast This is Why, available for free here: https://podfollow.com/thisiswhy To enquire about licensing Sky News content, you can find more information here: https://news.sky.com/info/library-sales