Denton MP Andrew Gwynne is backing a bill that would criminalise the abuse of frontline staff.

The Private Members Bill is being introduced by his colleague, Olivia Blake MP, and aims to tackle the growing abuse being reported by frontline staff across the country.

Since the start of the pandemic, over half of customer-facing workers have experienced verbal or physical abuse while they do their job. 80% of employees have some form of customer-facing aspect to their job roles.

Blake's bill builds on on the 2018 'Protect the Protectors' Act, which made they assault of an emergency worker a criminal offence. It is being supported by the Institute of Customer Service and various trade unions.

After sponsoring the proposed bill, Andrew Gwynne MP said: “I'm really proud to be backing this Bill. Over the last year, frontline workers have carried us through this pandemic. The impact of our incredible shop workers, transport staff and NHS front-facing teams is hard to overstate, and they deserve our respect and gratitude.

“The verbal abuse of frontline workers must stopped. It is totally unacceptable, and we must take a firm stand against this kind of behaviour. No-one should face abuse or harassment at their place of work, and Olivia's bill will recognise that principle in law.

“I hope that we see parliamentarians from both sides of the House backing this important piece of legislation. Together we can ensure that our front-facing workers are given the protection and support they deserve.”

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