Ministers have commissioned two in-depth reports into how franchising businesses are regulated in the UK. The government is considering introducing new laws following high-profile allegations about conduct within the sector.
The Department for Business and Trade is collaborating with the British Franchise Association on a study of the domestic market and has engaged the Centre for Economic Policy Research to analyse international models. Both studies will inform the government's assessment of the legal framework needed to "ensure franchisees are properly protected, while avoiding unnecessary burdens on small businesses."
These developments follow a Guardian investigation in December 2025, which reported claims that Adrian Howe, a former Vodafone employee who started a franchise in 2018, took his own life after pressure from the telecoms group. Lord Leong, Minister for Small Business and Enterprise, has been assigned franchising as part of his portfolio.
In 2024, 62 former Vodafone franchisees brought a High Court claim alleging the company "unjustly enriched" itself. This claim was settled in July via a confidential agreement without any admission of liability. Howe was not part of this claim, but his family has stated they will continue to press for an "Adrian's law" to introduce new regulations for the franchising sector.
A Vodafone UK spokesperson stated that while they are sorry if partners had a difficult experience, they reject any suggestion that franchisees were put under undue pressure. The company also said comparisons to the Post Office scandal are "wholly inappropriate."