Following the defeat of the Shops Bill 1986, which would have enabled widespread Sunday trading, compromise legislation was introduced in July 1994 in England and Wales, coming into force on 26 August 1994,[1] allowing shops to open, but restricting opening times of larger stores i.e. those over 280 m2 (3,000 sq ft) to a maximum of six hours, between 10:00-18:00 only.

This decision played an important role in encouraging many Labour MPs to back the bill in a free vote.

[4][5] The debate gained further political traction in May of the same year, when Philip Davies MP tabled five amendments to the Deregulation Bill which aimed at abolishing or liberalising the current Sunday trading laws.

[6] Although these amendments were ultimately rejected,[7] the debate continued to receive attention, with Davies appearing on the BBC's Daily Politics on 2 July 2014 and labelling the current regulations as "completely absurd and unjustifiable".

[8] It was proposed in the July 2015 Budget that the Sunday trading laws might be relaxed and shops over 280 m2 (3,000 sq ft) be able to open longer.