This election, call on your local candidates to back people centred trade.
It’s a little over two weeks to go until the UK goes to the polls in what is expected to be a seismic general election. With over a hundred MPs stepping down, and many more seats expected to change hands, there will be a whole new cohort of MPs taking up new roles in Westminster.
MPs who have supported Transform Trade campaigns like the Fashion Watchdog, as well as the call for a new Business and Human Rights law, may well find themselves jobless on Friday the 5th of July.
This leaves Transform Trade on the back foot – having to engage with new MPs to back our trade justice campaigns is difficult, especially when well-funded corporate lobbyists are also vying for their attention.
These lobbyists, funded by big business, stand poised to start influencing and lobbying Westminster to keep the trade status quo going.
So we need to make sure that we’re ready – and that every candidate at this election knows that there is a vibrant movement for people-centered trade in every constituency.
This is where you come in. Use our quick tool to send a message to your MP asking them to back people centred trade in parliament. This will ask them to:
STAND UP for trade climate justice by making sure UK trade deals don’t undermine small farmers’ access to indigenous seeds.
FIGHT for the rights of the people who make our clothes by backing a Fashion Watchdog – that would put an end to UK brands mistreating their suppliers.
SUPPORT a new business and human rights law – to hold UK companies accountable for shocking human rights abuses in their supply chains.
If you have an opportunity to speak to any of your candidates in person and you’re not sure what to ask – we've prepared a few questions below, reflecting our key asks.
Fashion Watchdog
I’m concerned about the behaviour of UK fast fashion brands around the world. Cancelling orders and failing to pay workers isn’t something I want to see UK companies get away with.
What will you do to ensure clothing companies are forced to change their behaviour? How do you think the fashion industry needs to change?
If elected, will you work to improve the clothing industry so it stops exploiting the workforce and polluting the world?
Almost 10% of the Commons backed the Fashion Watchdog in the last parliament – will you?
#StopUPOV
UK trade deals are spreading damaging UPOV91 seed laws that essentially privatise the fields of smallholder farmers across the world. I don’t want UK trade to make farmers poorer and less resilient to climate shocks – will you stand up against this in parliament?
Business and Human Rights
I’m concerned about hidden human rights abuses behind some of the products I buy. I want to make sure that ethical businesses can compete fairly and not be put at a disadvantage for taking care with their supply chains. Will you support a new business and human rights law to punish companies for human rights abuses in their supply chains?
Climate & Trade
Climate change is hitting hard across the world and those with the least power are paying the highest price. We need to use everything we’ve got to prevent this. If elected, will you push for the government to recognise trade’s impact on the climate crisis?