“How bad will things have to get before the government acts?”
This was the question raised by Simply Business chief operating officer Bea Montoya when the SME insurance broker revealed its disappointment over the fate suffered by its “Stamp Out Tool Theft” campaign, which secured a daily average of 1,000 signatures and was described as the UK’s fastest growing government petition in October.
Had it reached 100,000 signatures, the issue of tool theft would have been slated for debate in the House of Commons. However, with Parliament now dissolved because of the upcoming general election, all petitions have been closed and will not be reopened – meaning previously collected signatures cannot be carried over – even when a new petitions committee is appointed.
“The success of the stamp out tool theft petition within its first month reflects the significance of this widespread issue,” stated Montoya. “With the frequency and cost of the crime on a continual rise, clearly there is a need to act. Eighty-four per cent (84%) of tradespeople feel the government isn’t doing enough on this issue and at Simply Business we empathise with tradespeople.
“We’ve reached a stage in 2019 where a van is broken into every 23 minutes in the UK, with one in three tradespeople having had their tools stolen. For our customers in the trade, it’s far more than an inconvenience, the effects are devastating. Stolen tools remove their ability to earn a living.”
Simply Business insures over half a million SMEs across Britain, over 175,000 of which are tradespeople, and is calling for greater fines for those convicted of tool theft as well as tighter regulations on the selling of second-hand tools.
According to the digital broker, the government’s formal response to the tool theft petition reaching 10,000 signatures was to say that the Theft Act 1968 includes robust measures for dealing with crimes of theft and handling stolen goods and that it does not intend to change existing legislation.
“For the government to state it has no plans to amend – or even review – 50-year-old legislation is a missed opportunity to find a solution to this growing crisis,” lamented the COO.
Montoya added: “As we enter winter – the worst times of the year for tool theft – and with the upcoming general election, tradespeople simply cannot afford for this issue to once again slip down the political agenda.
“In the meantime, Simply Business will keep highlighting the facts related to this crime and continue sharing tips to prevent becoming a victim of tool theft, which is the least that our nation’s tradespeople deserve.”
