From the editor in chief Pride and politics Eleni Chalkidou Editor in chief elenic@tsi.org.uk Britain may well appear to an outsider as a nation divided by postcodes, sporting convictions, accents and strong ethical and political beliefs. Yet the tragic, cowardly and shocking terror attack on our nation on 22 May at the Manchester Arena united us all in support and respect for those affected by this atrocity. It makes me proud to be a UK resident. The temporary halt on campaigning for the General Election helped parties put their priorities into perspective, but it is now back in full swing. Electioneers will most certainly step up a gear over the next week as the race for power enters its last leg. What initially appeared to be certain Conservative victory has now turned into an open race as the country heads for the voting booth on 8 June. After the pollsters folly over the Brexit referendum, the 2015 General Election result and Donald Trumps US presidential victory, its hard to trust their predictions again. But, according tothe latest polls, the strong and stable Tory leader Theresa Mays advantage is starting to look decidedly wobbly after her social-care policy U-turn. In the meantime, Labours underestimated Jeremy Corbyn has rapidly gained political ground with policies such as renationalising the railways, the Royal Mail and the energy sector. It remains to be seen if consumers will ultimately gain from these plans if Labour is victorious, but something about Corbyns campaign is clearly hitting a nerve with the voting public. Perhaps reading our breakdown of pertinent points for the consumer and business in the main parties manifestos will help you decide which way your vote will swing. In other news, the biggest event in trading standards calendar takes place this month, with CTSI Conference kicking off in Harrogate on 26 June. This will be my inaugural trading standards event, so I am hoping to catch up with as many of you as possible to get to know you better and exchange ideas. For a sneaky peek at the highlights across the four-day event, take a look at our special Conference Preview in this edition of TSToday. And, for all you movers and shakers, dont forget to pack your dancing shoes for our CTSI Party Night at Banyan Bar! Thanks for reading, Eleni