From the editor-in-chief One step closer Ivy Hughes Editor-in-chief ivyh@tsi.org.uk This month we waited on tenterhooks for the judicial review outcome to be brought to CTSI by Liverpool County Council trading standards ofcer (TSO) Stephanie Hudson. When it came, the outcome was a welcome surprise. In what was the countrys rst judicial review into funding for trading standards, the council agreed to examine whether the service as currently funded is sufcient to meet statutory obligations. This is a huge step in the formal recognition that funding structures for trading standards need exploration. We at CTSI are incredibly proud of and grateful to Stephanie, who refused to quietly accept cuts with a negative impact on consumers and businesses. Nowhere is the real-life impact of trading standards services on local communities more evident than in this issue of TS Today. The Claudia Winkleman story, which was all over the news earlier this month, highlights the important role ofcers play in product safety. Issues with lettings, dangerous counterfeit helmets, underage sales and organised crime are exacerbated when enforcement is diminished. Unfortunately, the announcement that the new consumer minister will be responsible for a total of 17 major issues, of which consumer protection is one small bit, is hugely disappointing. As outlined in his statement to government, published here, CTSI chief executive Leon Livermore and the CTSI policy team continue working diligently with government and TSOs to provide new solutions that, we believe, will ultimately result in stronger protections for legitimate businesses and consumers.