From the editor-in-chief Shifting sands Chris Fay Editor-in-chief chrisf@tsi.org.uk Are hard-pressed and underfunded trading standards teams doing the work of other agencies? Its a question we will pose in one of the plenaries at Conference in Harrogate, but weve tried to set the scene in this months TS Today. Consider the case of Veronica Robinson, which we do at length in this edition. This bogus carer isolated a 93-year-old World War II vet and fleeced him of 250,000. Surely a police matter, or perhaps something for the Care Quality Commission, but it fell to Dudley Trading Standards to send Robinson down for five-and-a-half years. Many say trading standards must pursue these kind of cases or hitch itself to adult social care to survive. But whats the cost to those trading standards functions that only the profession cantackle? In our infographic we look at real-life examples of supermarkets selling underweight products. If you quite reasonably assume every consumer has a similar experience, just once a year, the results are staggering. We only look at a few products, so imagine what it means for the entire UK shopping trolley. Such metrology work is the preserve of the profession and theres no other agency with the responsibility and the expertise. Yet it has slipped so far down the priorities list it is argued we are in danger of losing our core skills and the functions trading standards was first set up for. Meanwhile, the ground beneath our feet is shifting. As I type, ballots are being counted in local and mayoral elections and the Conservatives are making early gains. Pundits on the breakfast news predict a landslide but there are still many councils yet to declare. These local elections, and the forthcoming General Election, will set the backdrop for the plenary debates and, more importantly, the challenges ahead. As will Brexit. A dominant Tory party, free from the EU, will most likely mean small state, low regulation and even more turbulence for the profession. Sadly, I will merely be watching from the sidelines. The time has come for me to move on and this will be the last edition of TS Today that I oversee. Its been a genuine privilege and I will remain a supporter of CTSI and the profession for life. I wish you all the very best of luck for the future. Many thanks for reading, Chris