Press Release
23 June 2003 For Immediate Release 

Hewitt changes the rules as 500 MPs get the message on trade justice

Tens of thousands of trade justice campaigners have told more than 500 British MPs how poor countries need trade rules weighted in their favour, during the UK's biggest marathon political lobby.

Across the country, MPs have met constituents in surgeries or at special trade justice events. Many have pledged their support to the campaign, which is calling for a re-write of global trade rules in favour of poor people and the environment, when countries meet at a world trade summit in Mexico later this year.

Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who will lead Britain's delegation in Mexico, attended a trade justice event in Leicester City Centre. She joined campaigners in an unfair version of the fairground 'hook a duck' game, in which competitors representing rich countries were given hooks and those representing poor countries were given hoops. But Ms Hewitt, who was representing Mozambique, where 80 per cent of the population live in poverty, changed the rules by using her hoop to knock the ducks out of the water rather than hook them.

"The rules of the game were fundamentally unfair so Patricia Hewitt was forced to change them to win," said Ruth Stockdale, one of the organisers of the trade justice Movement event in Leicester. "It shows how poor countries must have rules in their favour if they are to overcome the disadvantages they currently face in trade."

At an event in Windrush Square, Brixton, South London, Keith Hill, who is Minister of State in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, appeared to be swayed by many of campaigners' arguments that the UK government's prescription of 'free and fair trade' is often contradictory for poor nations.

"It's totally clear that a totally open market approach to developing countries is dangerous to them and we have to consider how we can protect their interests," said the Mr Hill. "I'm not in the habit of yielding to an audience simply because I'm here to please, but I agree that free trade isn't necessarily fair."

Glen Tarman, Co-ordinator of the Trade Justice Movement said, "Trade justice has been well and truly pinned to the political map of the UK. The British public has now sent a very clear message to government. We do not want our elected representatives giving the World Trade Organisation powers to negotiate agreements on investment and other new issues. And neither do developing countries. The government must concentrate exclusively on sorting out the existing unfair WTO rules and commit itself to trade justice rather than its current prescription of free trade."

Elsewhere in the UK …

The campaign has a huge presence at Glastonbury Festival. Headline band Radiohead are supporting Scale Up for trade justice, as are a number of other performers. 3,000 festival-goers have faxed their MPs and joined the campaign and many others have taken part in a trade justice procession.

In Tottenham, Actor and writer Kwame Kwei-Armah lobbied David Lammy MP, along with local campaigners. Kwame recently went to Senegal with Christian Aid.

In Nottingham, World Champion Boxer Jawaid Khaliq fought 10-year old Umar Mohammad to illustrate the injustice of world trade rules. Umar landed a few punches but Jawaid was victorious. Three MPs and 300 people watched the bout.

In Birmingham, Paul Bradley (Nigel from Eastenders) joined hundreds of people at a city centre carnival. The event included an 'unfayre' with music and stalls.

In Newcastle, from five points in the city, campaigners marched to Grey's Monument. They held a minute's silence as a giant set of scales was raised to symbolise the imbalance in world trade.

In Glasgow, campaigners took over Bells Bridge, and swathed it in trade justice banners.

ENDS

For further information: www.tjm.org.uk
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Notes for Editors:

1. For details of the hundreds of local Scale Up for trade justice events, see www.tjm.org.uk/scaleup

2. The Trade Justice Movement's Mass Lobby of Parliament on 19 June 2002 was the biggest ever such event and was deemed the "most effective" campaign in a biennial survey of MPs. This year's event will involve more campaigners and reach more MPs.

3. The Trade Justice Movement is a coalition of over 40 organisations campaigning for trade justice - not free trade - with the rules weighted to benefit poor people and the environment. Members include: ActionAid, ACTSA, ADRA-UK, Baby Milk Action, Banana Link, CAFOD, Campaign Against the Arms Trade, CARE International UK, Catholic Institute for International Relations, Christian Aid, Fairtrade Foundation, Find Your Feet, Friends of the Earth, Greenbelt Festival, Harvest Help, MAYC, Methodist Relief & Development Fund, 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 & Planet, Peru Support Group, Rugmark UK, Save the Children, SCIAF, Scottish Catholic Justice & Peace Commission, SPEAK, Student Christian Movement, Tearfund, Tools for Self Reliance, Traidcraft, TUC, UNISON, Unitarian Office of Social Responsibility, United Reformed Church, VSO, War on Want, Women's Environmental Network, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, World Development Movement, and World Vision UK.

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