Wake Up to Trade Justice 

Political Delegations 

With the Global Week of Action taking place within an election period, on the morning of Saturday 16th April following the dawn procession, Trade Justice campaign delegations met representatives from the three main political parties. 

The three delegations meeting with representatives from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties were made up of diverse groups including campaigners from the South, Trade Justice Movement professional campaigners and active supporters of coalition member organisatons. The following is a brief summary of the meetings: 

Labour Party 

Campaigners met with Gareth Thomas, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Department for International Development (DFID) in the Labour campaign offices. The Minister, whose responsibilities at DFID include Africa and trade, was interested to hear about the previous night on the streets of London, and to hear more about the policy changes that the Trade Justice Movement is pressing the UK government to deliver. 

The positive language in the party's manifesto, in which they state that poor countries should not be forced to liberalise was acknowledged (and the Labour party was called upon to go further and persuade other countries to adopt the same language). But campaigners also highlighted the fact that the rhetoric and reality do not match up, for example, on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) and services (GATS). The Minster was told that at the WTO in Geneva the voices of developing country groups need to be heard as there is widespread concern about the formula that will come out of WTO, especially on tariffs, and the EC and the United States are taking an aggressive stance. 

Campaigners also underlined the need to actually deliver on another manifesto commitment to "press for the conclusion of an ambitious trade deal that will completely open markets to exports from poorer countries". 

Gareth Thomas thanked the Trade Justice Movement for our work as visible campaigning not only helps the government to move on but also to persuade other countries to make progress. The Minister made a commitment that DFID will meet the Trade Justice Movement after the election to help the department focus on how they could assist poorer countries during the WTO negotiations and to consult the movement on a forthcoming paper which addresses environmental issues. The delegation reminded Mr Thomas that the environmental ramifications of all trade policies must made intrinsic to plans for poverty reduction.

The meeting ended with the campaigners pressing Mr Thomas that a UK government should use its position as Chair of the G8 and the Presidency of the EU to drive forward change and put trade reform firmly on the agenda of meetings in which it will chair. 

On leaving the Labour party offices, the campaigners had a surprise meeting with Tony Blair who had appeared in the lobby. The campaigners had the opportunity to take their trade messages right to the top of government as the Prime Minister spent five minutes talking to the delegation about the vigil and the challenges of delivering trade reforms to benefit poorer countries when the UK hosts the G8 in Gleneagles in July.

Trade Justice Movement delegation: Martin Khor (Malaysian economist, Third World Network), John Hilary (War on Want Head of Policy and Campaigns/Trade Justice Movement Policy Group Chair), Tracy Sortwell (Women's Institute Trustee), Becky Hume (Brighton NUS student officer), Tania Sayer (Campaigns & Education Co-ordinator for South Cheshire, Friends of the Earth), Toby Gethin (ActionAid supporter), Pete Pinlac (President of the Philippine Communication Workers Union)

Conservative Party 

Alan Duncan, the Conservative spokesperson for International Development, visited the campaigners at Methodist Central Hall, the venue for much of the previous night's activity. In their manifesto, the Conservative party have committed to "freer and fairer trade". 

The delegation emphasised that the movement is not anti-trade, as Alan Duncan expressed concerns and reservations about the language and tone that is used by us in our campaigning, but that we want managed trade that benefits poorer countries. The campaigners acknowledged the Conservative party's highlighting of development in the publication of their mini-manifesto "Action on Global Poverty". 

In a lively and good-natured meeting, Alan Duncan conceded that some "finite support" should be provided until it is no longer necessary. Encouragingly for Trade Justice Movement's 'Water out of GATS' demand, Alan Duncan said that the Conservatives are cautious about some forms of liberalisation, that they are not in favour of ridiculous conditions like water privatisation and that they would not push the privatisation of public services. This provides extra ammunition for Trade Justice Movement to argue for keeping water out of GATS because GATS 'locks -in' privatisation of public services. During the discussion Alan Duncan also promised that a Conservative government would scrap EU subsidies and trade barriers as well as encouraging trade between African countries. 

Trade Justice Movement delegation: Alison Marshall (Campaigns Manager, CAFOD), Matthew Sparrow (Trade Justice campaigner and Oxfam supporter), Christine Macmillan (Portsmouth Fairtrade Forum); Linda Marshall (Christian Aid supporter), Farhad Mazhar (Ubinig/ Bangladesh - Christian Aid partner), Liz Stuart (Trade and Investment Policy Advisor, Oxfam) 

Liberal Democrat Party 

Liberal Democrat President Simon Hughes stated that the trade justice message has been heard by Liberal Democrat MPs - even those who have more of a free trade background. He promised in his meeting with campaigners to include information about the Trade Justice Movement in the message he was sending to every Liberal Democrat candidate in the country. 

Again, encouragingly for Trade Justice Movement's 'Water out of GATS' demand, Simon Hughes was particularly responsive to William Rodriguez (a Nicaraguan economist) and Rudo Kwarambe's assertions that water privatisation is a major concern for developing countries. He suggested that it would be helpful to see first hand the problems that trade injustice can cause so pledged to stay in touch with the Nicaraguan Solidarity Campaign and William Rodriguez,

Simon Hughes was asked to encourage UK parliamentarians to sign the International Parliamentarians Petition to hold the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Band to account. The group heard that Mr Hughes had signed the petition himself. 

The Liberal Democrats were called upon to play a greater role in holding the government to account if in opposition in the next parliament and to continue to raise Trade Justice issues in parliament. 

Trade Justice Movement delegation: William Rodriguez (Nicaraguan economist), Sister Patricia Mulhall (CAFOD volunteer), Mark Lovesey (Herts Uni P&P), Richard Taylor (Oxfam volunteer), Jeanette James (WDM and TJM Kingston), Rudo Kwaramba (World Vision Director of Advocacy), Tom Sharman (Action-Aid Policy)

The Trade Justice Movement will be stepping up our campaigning when the new parliament meets in May. Activity at Westminster and locally will be needed throughout 2005 to keep up the pressure on politicians of all parties to persuade them to act on behalf of poorer countries to bring about trade justice.

Reports from the events

» Westminster Abbey opening event
» Gordon Brown’s message to TJM campaigners
» Report back from the Wake Up delegations
» Supporter feedback on GWA  
» Photo Gallery from the Vigil
» Reports from Wake Up to Trade Justice