From the editor-in-chief Taking stock Eleni Chalkidou Editor-in-chief elenic@tsi.org.uk It is inconceivable that only weeks after the Manchester terrorist attacks, tragedy of an unprecedented magnitude has struck the UK again. Nightmare scenes of terror in London and the blazing fire at the Grenfell Tower disaster have shocked us all. Unimaginable tragedies, given that this is 21st century Britain, after all. And yet, although life goes on, we need to ensure we do everything in our power to help eliminate the risks that can lead to such disasters. Meanwhile, the Queen delivered her much-anticipated Queens Speech last week after a slight delay following the snap General Election. The election result has left the new minority Conservative governments plans for Brexit, school and social care reform in disarray. But there are positives in the Queens Speech for the trading standards profession, such as proposals to ban unfair tenant fees a cause close to CTSIs heart and a pledge to ensure fairer markets for consumers. These include bringing forward measures to help tackle unfair practices in the energy market to help reduce energy bills. A new law to protect personal data has also been promised, along with proposals for a new digital charter for online safety. While these pledges are to be applauded, Brexit could potentially represent the biggest threat to maintaining consumer protection in the UKs history. Whatever happens, we will keep the pressure on Theresa Mays government to ensure it puts consumers first. Our chief executive, Leon Livermore, continues to champion the consumer protection agenda. He is calling on the new government to make the consumer protection system fit for the challenges posed by a 21st century Britain and you can see his letter in full in our sister publication, TS Review, which will be out next month. It has only been a year since Britain went to the polls and narrowly voted to leave the EU, but the past few weeks have resulted in a much-changed political landscape. It is impossible to predict what will happen next. Will it be a hard or soft Brexit or perhaps no Brexit at all? As Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, said last week, quoting John Lennon: You may say Im a dreamer, but Im not the only one. I cant wait to see you all at my first CTSI conference in Harrogate this week! Thanks for reading. Eleni