A radical change in the character of Sunday was heralded last night when MPs ended nearly a decade of legal confusion by voting to allow all shops to open for at least six hours on Sunday ╤ just two hours fewer than the option backed by advocates of total deregulation, including the Prime Minister.
Large stores will be allowed to open for a maximum of six hours between 10am and 6pm. Smaller shops will be allowed to stay open for as long as they like. Many shops, currently holding back from flouting the law, are now likely to jump the gun and open on Sundays.
