Press Release - Advance Notice
August 2004 For Immediate Release 

Trade demo targets Labour Party Conference

Campaigners representing millions of Britons will protest over global trade rules at Labour's annual conference on Sunday 26th September in Brighton.

The Trade Justice Movement, a coalition of aid agencies, environment and human rights campaigns, fair-trade organisations, trade unions and faith groups, will be launching a major new campaign 'Vote For Trade Justice'.

Celebrities such as Casualty's Kwame Kwei-Armah and Time Team's Tony Robinson will cast ballots alongside thousands of campaigners to get across the Trade Justice message to the government loud and clear.

Trade Justice Movement Coordinator Glen Tarman said, "Vote for Trade Justice will give a voice to the thousands of people across the UK who are concerned about the way trade is currently deepening global injustice and poverty. Unjust trade rules and practices keep millions of people in poverty around the world and harm our environment. The Labour government could play a key role in changing this.

"We are expecting thousands of supporters to come to Brighton to cast their ballot for Trade Justice, and take part in a carnival - with pots, pans, whistles and drums for a Latin American style protest. Labour must heed our message and abandon trade policies that harm both people and planet. Without a change of direction they will continue to lose respect across the UK electorate."

The Vote for Trade Justice campaign will run until the end of 2005. Next year is a crucial period for the fight against poverty with the UK government hosting the G8 meeting of the world's most powerful countries and holding the presidency of the EU. It is also the 20th anniversary of Live Aid.

Trade Justice campaigners lobbied more than 500 MPs in their constituencies last June in the UK's biggest nationwide lobby marathon.

For further information: Glen Tarman, Coordinator, Trade Justice Movement 
Tel. 020 7404 0530 glen@tjm.org.uk  or visit www.tjm.org.uk 

ActionAid, ACTSA, ADRA-UK, African Initiatives, AEFJN-UK, Baby Milk Action, Banana Link, Baptist Union, CAFOD, Campaign Against Arms Trade, CARE International UK, Catholic Institute for International Relations, Christian Aid, Church of England, Church of Scotland, Board of World Mission, The Church in Wales, The Fairtrade Foundation, Find Your Feet, Friends of the Earth, Greenbelt Festival, Greenpeace, Harvest Help, Justice for Colombia, MAYC World Action, Methodist Relief and Development Fund, National Board of Catholic Women, National Federation of Women's Institutes, National Justice and Peace Network, National Union of Students, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, One World Action, Oxfam, Peace Child International, People and Planet, Peru Support Group, Quaker Peace and Social Witness, Rugmark UK, Save the Children, SCIAF, Scottish Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, Shared Interest, SPEAK, Student Christian Movement, Tearfund, Tools for Self Reliance, Traidcraft, TUC, Unitarian Office of Social Responsibility, Unison, United Reformed Church, VSO, War on Want, Women's Environmental Network, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, The Woodcraft Folk, World Development Movement, World Vision UK.