As I scan through the government’s response to the consultation on reforming competition and consumer policy, I find myself pondering what Citizen Smith might have made of it all.
Otherwise known as Wolfie, his common turns of phrase included ‘Power to the People’ being the self-proclaimed leader of the revolutionary Tooting Popular Front.
I suspect not a lot…
Whatever your view on Brexit, it has provided the UK with a genuine opportunity to rip up the rule book and inject some creativity, common-sense and innovation into its regulatory framework.
Alas, in this instance, I think it may have missed the mark in all 3 areas.
This was a great opportunity to overhaul a pretty much obsolete piece of policy to make it both relevant and futureproof for years to come given the ongoing advancement in technology and disruptive business models that flood the market these days…
I’m left struggling to see what is brand new here from the previous review 11 years ago when the value of ecommerce in the UK was worth 27 billion. You can add another 100 billion to that figure today and still be counting…
With all its talk of creating a best-in-class competition law fit for the digital age, its protecting consumers from fake reviews and subscription traps and its provision of more enforcement tools there is an unfortunate lack of substance… there’s too much seeking further evidence here and reasonable steps will be taken there. What does all this mean and how does this fix an already broken enforcement regime without any capacity or relevant knowhow to meaningfully combat unethical tactics? Worryingly there isn’t even any date in sight for when the new enforcement powers will take effect.
So in the words of Citizen Smith, not so much power to the people, more like they’ll have to look after themselves.
For any businesses looking to ensure its approach to consumer protection policy is up to scratch and has some credibility, don’t call Citizen Smith, DM me instead…
