Here is the e-mail sent by David on behalf of the Gedling Fairtrade Group with candidates’ responses below (copied exactly as written)…

I am writing to you on behalf of the Gedling Fairtrade Group in the run up to the general election to find out your views on Fairtrade. We have recently (Feb 2010) managed to gain Fairtrade status for Gedling Borough by reaching the Fairtrade Foundation’s criteria of numbers of shops, cafes, businesses, restaurants and community groups using or selling Fairtrade goods.

I would be grateful if you could answer the following questions:

1. Do you agree with the principles of Fairtrade and if so can you tell us what you personally have done and currently do to support Fairtrade?

2. If you were elected would you be prepared to support our group to maintain Fairtrade status (we need to meet the criteria each year)?

3. What do you think that the next government needs to do to ensure that Trade is fair and meets the need of poor producers in developing countries as well as consumers in the UK and EU?

Please do visit our local website for information about Fairtrade in Gedling – http://fairtradegedling.org.uk/ . We will put your replies on our website so that our supporters can see them.

Response from Bruce Laughton – Conservative

Hi David I helped Bishop Ronald and my Auntie Val make Southwell the first Free Trade Town in Notts my County Council ward and introduced it into Notts County Council. Action speaks louder than words. Thanks. For contact. Bruce

Response from Julia Bateman – Liberal Democrats

Thank you very much for your email regarding Fairtrade.  I think it impressive that as a group in the community you have been committed to gaining Fairtrade status for Gedling Borough by reaching the Fairtrade Foundation’s criteria of numbers of shops, cafes, businesses, restaurants and community groups using or selling Fairtrade goods.

I recently responded to the Fairtrade “one simple question” campaign with a resounding yes, that if elected as MP for Gedling on May 6th, I would  support the continued growth of Fairtrade in the UK.   I agree with the principles of Fairtrade and try do my small part such as purchase Fairtrade goods in supermarkets (such as the Co-op)  particulary coffee.  I know it doesn’t sound much but every little helps. I would try to keep in mind what shops, cafes, restaurants have the status and choose accordingly.

If elected I would be pleased to work hard with and support your group to maintain Fairtrade status  in the Borough. (we need to meet the criteria each year)?  I would like to see you have a celebration day in March next year because you have retained your status. I would like to help you in any event after the election period.

As you will know, global fair trade sales have grown rapidly over the past decade, reaching €2.4bn in 2007, 47 percent more than the year before and it is estimated that 7.5 million people benefit directly from fair trade prices. Local governments in Europe and North America have used their procurement policy to purchase fair-trade-labelled products, though central governments (including the UK’s) remain more cautious, largely because of concern about the interaction with WTO and EU rules.

While Liberal Democrats continue to support the growth of the fair trade movement, we also want to break down the underlying barriers to trade and promote sustainable trade and investment in developing countries by:

• Working through the European Union and World Trade Organisation to seek to remove the subsidies and tariff barriers that prevent the poorest countries in the world selling their goods on fair terms and promote environmentally sustainable trade.
• Working to end the dumping of subsidised agricultural exports by developed economies, which is undermining farming in Africa and other parts of the world.
• Requiring companies benefiting from open markets to behave responsibly and adhere to OECD guidelines. We will also promote a new international agreement to encourage investment, particularly in the poorest countries.
• Increasing opportunities in richer countries for sustainable products from developing nations.

Thank you again for taking the time to get in contact with me on this important issue. Please do publish this response on your site or I am happy for you to forward it to your members.

Kind regards
Julia

Response from Vernon Coaker – Labour

Thank you for your email.  I fully support Fairtrade, as I have always done.
Vernon

Response from Dave Marshall – UKIP

Hi, thank you for your email regardind Fairtrade. I do agree with the principle of fairtrade and i have swapped some of my purchases accordingly. I would also be delighted to support the work you have been doing to get a fairer price for poorer farmers, although we need to ensure that the monies go to the farmers and not the respective governments or regimes. Keep up the good work!!

Stephen Adcock – BNP

Unfortunately we were not able to find an e-mail address for the BNP candidate. If anyone knows his work (not private) e-mail address please forward it to us so that we can ask for his response to the same e-mail.

Special thanks go to all of the suppliers and supporters within Gedling Borough who sell or use Fairtrade in their shop, cafe, workplace, school, community group or place of worship.

Joining us at the celebration were the Mayor, the Lady Mayoress, councillors from the Borough and local suppliers and supporter as well as pupils and parents from Killisick Junior School who have been very supportive.

ASDA, Sainsbury’s, The Cooperative and Gedling Borough Council all provided donations to help us host this exciting event and provide Fairtrade wine and juice for guests to sample. Christie Picture Framing & Gallery very kindly framed our Fairtrade Borough certificate free of charge and this will be placed on display in the Gedling Civic Centre.

During the evening prizes were awarded to pupils from Killisick Junior School who were winners of our Fairtrade ‘The Big Swap’ poster competition. Winners were Michael Shaw, Chloe Bonnar, Ariya Shadamani, Kyra Holehouse, Holly Stevenson and Abbie Webb:

Here are the winning posters and many of the other fantastic entries:

Take a look at our videos below to see speeches from the night.

Although Gedling Borough has Fairtrade status there is still a lot of work to do. Please do get in touch if you would like to get involved.

We are very pleased to have achieved this status and thank all of the Fairtrade suppliers and supporters in Gedling who contributed to making this happen.

There is still a lot of work to do though, raising awareness about Fairtrade in the borough and encouranging more shops to sell Fairtrade goods and more shoppers to buy them!

If you have some time to help us then we’d love to meet you. Come along to our next meeting on 17th February or please get in touch to find out more.

Swap to Fairtrade

This year’s Fairtrade Fornight theme is ‘The Big Swap‘ so between 22nd February and 7th March we’ll be encouraging the people of Gedling to swap their ordinary shopping items for Fairtrade ones.

Come along to our display in Gedling Civic Centre during the fortnight and pick up some free Fairtrade tea to try and find out where you can buy Fairtrade goodies in the borough.

Schools’ Poster Competition

We are also organising a poster competition with the big swap theme for local infant and junior schools. Winners will be chosen at the end of February and prizes will be awarded by the Mayor of Gedling at our celebration event.

If you would like to know more about our poster competition for schools please contact us.

Our Fairtrade Celebration

This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight is particularly exciting for us because Gedling Borough has now met the criteria to become a Fairtrade Town!

On 4th March we will be holding a celebration event to mark the occassion and to say thank you to all of our supporters. Invitations will be coming to supporters shortly but if your business, organisation, school or place of worship sells or uses Fairtrade produce and we do not already know about you (please see our directory and supporters pages) then please get in touch.

Tell us about your events

If you are holding an event during Fairtrade Fortnight then please tell us about it and we will post it here on our website!

We’ll be making final plans for Fairtrade Fortnight (22nd Feb – 7th Mar) so maybe you could lend a hand or let us know your ideas.

If you’d like to find out more before coming to a meeting please contact us.

This means lots more to do in 2010, starting with Fairtrade Fortnight, when we’ll be holding a celebration event for our supporters and a competition for local schools to create a Fairtrade poster.

Throughout the year we’ll be working hard to continue to raise awareness of Fairtrade in our borough and looking for even more supporters and suppliers to add to our directory.

If you know of any shops, cafes, businesses, organisations, schools or places of worship in Gedling borough that either sells or uses Fairtrade goods then please let us know. We’d love to say thank you to them and promote them here on our website.

Come along to our next meeting on Thursday 21st January, 7.30pm at Gedling Civic Centre, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU to find out more about our campaign, share your ideas and get involved.

At this meeting we will be making plans ready for our Fairtrade Town application and events during Fairtrade Fortnight in Feb / March 2009. We’d love your help and support. You don’t have to commit right away if you’d prefer to find out more first. To see the kinds of things we do please see our ‘Gedling Fairtrade Group Needs You!’ post.

See below for a map to the venue.
Visit the Gedling Borough Council website for bus routes and directions.
View Larger Map

If you have any queries or comments then please get in touch.

The group really needs to expand its members so that we can organise more activities and continue to gain support for Fairtrade. Do come along and meet us. You don’t have to commit right away if you’d prefer to find out more first. To see the kinds of things we do please see our ‘Gedling Fairtrade Group Needs You!’ post.

See below for a map to the venue.
Visit the Gedling Borough Council website for bus routes and directions.

View Larger Map

If you have any queries or comments then please get in touch.

Now Gedling Fairtrade Group are looking for volunteers of all ages and talents to be involved in their activities. Raising awareness about Fairtrade can be done in so many ways and you can give as much time as you wish.

Here are a few ways that you can get involved:

• Share ideas for activities
• Help organise events
• Create displays and publicity materials
• Write articles and press releases
• Talk to the public, businesses and organisations about Fairtrade
• Help survey shops, cafes and businesses for our Fairtrade Town application

The Gedling Faitrade Group usually meets once every 3 months and so involvement in the group does not have to be a big commitment. You might have a particular skill or experience that you would like to share with the group too.

Some of our previous activities include a glamorous Fairtrade fashion show, stalls at Arnold carnival and Gedling Show, a visit from a Fairtrade farmer and displays about Fairtrade in the borough.

Do get in touch or come along to one of our meetings if you’d like to find out more.

About Fairtrade
Fairtrade means supporting farmers in developing countries. By buying a product with the Fairtrade mark you can be sure that farmers earn a fair wage which allows a better standard of living and access to services such as healthcare and education for their children.

We’re very close to achieving Fairtrade Town status and just need a little more help to get there. More than anything we need group members who could give some of their time to help us raise awareness of Fairtrade in the borough.

So, if you would like to get involved or just to find out more, do come along to the meeting.

If you have any queries or comments then please get in touch.

See below for a map to the venue.
Visit the Gedling Borough Council website for bus routes and directions.

View Larger Map