The next government should commit to a forward-looking agenda that will make UK consumers’ lives simpler, fairer and safer. It must ensure that consumers can act with confidence, are protected when things go wrong, and have high levels of trust in the institutions and businesses that serve them. We are calling for:
1. Better connectivity – set out an ambitious, joined-up strategy to deliver an improved digital infrastructure that meets the needs of people to be connected at home, at work and on the move.
2. An enforcement system fit for purpose – create a stronger Consumer and Competition Authority to proactively lead on the enforcement of consumer rights and fair trading law, make the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) an independent arm’s length product safety regulator, and reform our alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system.
3. Greater protection from online harms and insecure products – place more responsibility on online platforms and marketplaces to prevent scams, fake reviews and the sale of unsafe products, and ensure that security is built into the design of connected devices.
4. Banking services that work for everyone – guarantee access to cash for as long as it is needed, and ensure all people are protected from Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud.
5. Fair and transparent pensions – enable everyone to understand their entire pensions savings through comprehensive dashboards, address the pensions gender gap, and ensure that all retirement income products are value for money.
6. A future trade policy and food strategy that delivers for consumers – pursue a trade policy underpinned by world-leading consumer standards, consumer rights and enhanced choice, and deliver a national food strategy that maintains the UK’s high food
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