When John Barratt, managing director of The Card Centre in Felixstowe received a letter from Lord Pickles inviting him to pen an article for the respected Parliamentary Review publication he initially thought it was a scam. “I contacted Lord Pickles’ private secretary who explained that as our business had survived as an independent retailer for over 70 years, I was well placed to share my views on how to help the High Street. It was a challenge I could not refuse!” John told PG Buzz.
The just-published edition of The Parliamentary Review, which is circulated to thousands of MPs, Ministers and business leaders includes an extensive piece written by John which rams home the important role greeting cards play in society as well as his fears and concerns about the future, not pulling any punches in his criticism of politicians, councils, landlords and the unrealistic drive for increased profits.
Having set the scene, detailing The Card Centre’s heritage and esprit du corps, John writes ‘Above all else, we remember one key thing throughout our work – a greeting card received through the post can bring so much joy and pleasure to so many people.’
He then switches tack and eruditely highlights several causes for concern, including, not surprisingly, Brexit which has dented ‘business investment, consumer confidence and indeed customer morale’ over the past year.
‘Leadership on all sides has been woefully inadequate, and the government itself has been seemingly held hostage by a minority and retrograde right wing which appears to have lost touch with the business community that it proclaims to champion,’ writes John.
In the wake of this John explains there has been a noticeable decline in the footfall in the high street, the malaise of which is another concern. ‘The blame for this, in our opinion, lies in three distinct directions. Firstly, government. If the high street is to survive in anything like its present form, and we fervently hope it will, government needs to make a level playing field between it, the internet and out of town shopping developments. Secondly, councils. Car parking has become increasingly expensive, and public transport, especially in our rural areas, is less frequent and close to non-existent. Businesses would benefit if a short period of free time in central car parks was to be allowed. Thirdly, business itself. We feel that big business has become too greedy and too impersonal; high streets, particularly in smaller towns, are the lifeblood of the community. Independents by their very nature reflect in their wares the idiosyncrasies and personal taste of their owners, evoking the true character of the community.”
To John’s mind, landlords must be reined in and a policy of rent restriction needs to be implemented.
‘Some landlords seem more content to see businesses close rather than to accept reduced minimum rental fees. To lose the independent shops is to lose the individuality of a town,’ stresses John. ‘High streets, particularly in smaller towns, are the lifeblood of the community.’
John also makes the point that the mental well-being of the nation is being dampened by the younger generation’s move to shopping online rather than in bricks and mortar.
‘We find it very worrying that the younger generation continue buying on the internet and communicating through social media; many of them have seemingly lost the art of conversation – a vital element of the health of the human psyche. This does not bode well for their future mental state, and the isolation which it generates is perhaps the start of a decline in the social wellbeing of the country.’
John, who contributed financially to see his article published feels it was money well spent. “I felt driven to put in writing the beliefs and concerns I have for the health of the high street and saw this as a way of reaching people who can, if they want, to make a difference.”
In their introduction to John’s article, Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett wrote: ‘The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from The Card Centre is an attempt to do just that.’
In addition, MP Michael Gove, wrote the foreward for this edition of The Parliamentary Review, which concentrated on the preparations for Brexit.
‘Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time… We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible.’
To read John’s full article in full go to: www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/organisations/the-card-centre
Top: John Barratt, md of The Card Centre, Felixstowe with the article he wrote for The Parliamentary Review.
