Labour candidate for General Election expresses concern over Wilko problems
News / Sun 13th Aug 2023 at 06:43am
CHRIS Vince, the Labour Candidate for Harlow, has written a letter to Wilko CEO, Mark Jackson, expressing concerns over the recent announcement of Wilko entering administration and the potential of the subsequent closure of stores including Harlow. In his letter, Vince highlights the significance of Wilko in the Harlow community, stating, “Wilko is not just a vital amenity and a significant employer, but an important part of our local economy.”
He further emphasises the challenges faced by the local economy, noting, “Another empty shop is more than just a loss; it’s a sign of our local economy’s struggles too and further highlights the abject failure of 13 years of a Conservative government.
Moreover it raises concerns for Harlow Council as Wilko rents a significant large retail space in the council owned Harvey Centre.”
Vince added, he would be keen to meet Wilko management and staff.
Tom
2023-08-13 07:37:43
Wow! A letter from Chris Vince! That is going to make all the difference in the world and really make the CEO of Wilko sit up and pay attention. No doubt Mr Vince has a full menu of options to solve Wilko's predicament. What a joke! Just hot air and nonsense. Harlow Labour must be really hard up for a credible candidate.
Alderman Durcan
2023-08-13 12:58:26
Typical Tory Tom Rant. Give credit, doing something is better than doing nothing. The council own the Harvey centre and therefore we all have stake in its future. Chris Vince is correct, we have an empty old BHS site still,concerns about the future of the cinema and now this announcement. The town centre is surrounded by demonstrations sites only. At least he is standing up and speaking out for Harlow.
Tony Wiseman
2023-08-13 15:11:51
Mr Durcan, please explain. Did you mean demolition sites? Because there are plenty of those in Harlow at the moment
Tony WIseman
2023-08-13 15:15:14
What arrant nonsense by Cllr Vince when he says “Another empty shop is more than just a loss; it’s a sign of our local economy’s struggles too and further highlights the abject failure of 13 years of a Conservative government" The reason so many shop are closing is because they are not selling products that people want or are too lazy to go shopping for but would rather buy online. What has that got to do with who the government is?
Tony WIseman
2023-08-13 15:39:03
And another aspect that Cllr Vince is ignoring is that if the local council did not agree planning permission for large food and general goods stores such as B&M, The Food Warehouse and Home Bargains to open up out of town with free parking then stores in the town centre would not be so badly affected as to have to close down. When there is so much choice for the consumer, which is a good thing, there are bound to be casualties. Cllr Vince talks about his achievement and what he as delivered, all we see in YH is him criticising others not telling us what he would do differently, how and at what cost to the Council Tax payer.
Iain Lindsay
2023-08-13 18:54:23
Mr Wiseman is correct. It wouldn't matter which political party had been in power for the last 13 years. The fact of the matter is that people have become fat and lazy and don't visit shopping centres any more, hence high streets being boarded up. You don't have to leave your house these days. Everything can be delivered.
Seamus
2023-08-14 02:53:12
I don't recall Mr Durcan's or Chris Vince's concerns when the Labour council in 2014 told M&S that they would NOT be given permission for a premises move into another shopping area of Harlow, if they left the town centre. In fact I recall Labour were quite hostile to M&S moving to a smaller store in Queensgate Centre Retail Park even though M&S would guarranty all staff would keep their jobs in any move. Harlow council blocked the queensgate move and so 63 staff lost their jobs and the M&S store left Harlow.
Luke Burton
2023-08-14 06:50:40
I'm afraid a letter from a local Councillor is not going to change the fiscal reality faced by the executives at Wilkinson's.
David Forman
2023-08-14 09:18:07
The truth is that the workers' share of national income has been declining for the past 43 years and that buying power has been eroded. The International Monetary Fund says: "In advanced economies, labor income shares began trending down in the 1980s. They reached their lowest level of the past half century just prior to the global financial crisis of 2008, and have not recovered materially since." This helps to explain the growing demand for cheaper and more convenient online shopping. See https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2017/04/12/drivers-of-declining-labor-share-of-income#:~:text=Labor%27s%20share%20of%20income%20declines,has%20been%20going%20to%20capital.
9 Comments for Labour candidate for General Election expresses concern over Wilko problems: