Our Mayor is, at least, notionally, in favour of fair trade – the London Assembly recently passed a motion in favour. Here are the voting statistics and some interesting facts:
1. The motion received 11 votes in favour (Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green), 10 votes against (Conservative and BNP)
2. The following boroughs are expected to apply for Fairtrade status: Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Haringey and Merton.
Nine boroughs have not yet achieved Fairtrade status and are not expected to apply: Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Westminster.
A quick check to confirm what we all thought. As an added bonus, I’ve put on any borough affiliations with Boris’s deputy Mayors:
Expected to apply (largest party first):
- Barking & Dagenham – Labour
- Brent – Lib Dem/Conservative
- Haringey – Labour
- Merton – Conservative (minority)
Not fans:
- Barnet – Conservative
- Bexley – Conservative (Ian Clement)
- Harrow – Conservative
- Havering – Conservative
- Hillingdon – Conservative (Richard Barnes)
- Kensington & Chelsea – Conservative
- Wandsworth – Conservative
- Westminster – Conservative (Kit Malthouse/Sir Simon Milton)
So just how genuine is the Mayor’s approval of fair trade, when his party, Assemblymen and chief lieutenants are overwhelmingly opposed?
Tags: 7 Comments
7 responses so far ↓
Can someone explain what this fairtrade bill is?
Basically a worthy exercise in raising the profile of fair trade, by the boroughs themselves undertaking to buy and promote fair trade branded products and thus give a lead to their areas. There’s a website which originally had a picture of Livingstone at the top, but now doesn’t. http://www.fairtradelondon.org.uk/news.asp#49
Covered originally here: http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2008/10/24/fair-trade-boroughs/
Trust me, Fairtrade is promoted enough in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Wandsworth!!
No it isn’t.
Can you imagine Barnet, KenChel or Westminster Tories promoting fair trade? Try it. I mean, these are the guys who tried to stop people giving the homeless soup.
No. It’s a shame they have to demonstrate their no doubt sincere position by voting with the Nazi, though, eh?
There are Conservative councils signed up to Fairtrade, but I think only Redbridge signed up while under Conservative control. Boris says he supports it, however, so that’s OK, despite no one who works for him doing so before or since (did Kit Malthouse AM vote against or abstain, I wonder?)
Bexley council last night rejected motion to adopt Fair Trade status. Labour motion heavily defeated as Tories made “little Englander” protectionist speeches.