On the 17th May 2023, Fashion Roundtable, along with Shadow Minister Stephanie Peacock MP, hosted a meeting with the Parliamentary Labour Party where industry leaders outlined the dire need for urgent action for the British fashion sector, which was at one time the fastest growing creative industry in the United Kingdom.
Read MoreAhead of the General Election, Fashion Roundtable published a Manifesto to highlight our sector’s top priorities. In the New Year, we will collectively work across industry, government, and parliament to ensure that the UK fashion industry continues to thrive. I would like to draw your attention in particular to… (You can choose a key element of our Manifesto or if you have a specific concern that’s unique to your work, include a brief outline here.)
Read MoreFashion Roundtable interview Banseka Kayembe, who brought the Mixed Race Faces project into Parliament for the UK Parliament Campaign. Mixed Race Faces is an organisation that captures portraits and stories of mixed-race people to raise awareness of the vastly growing population of mixed-race people around the world, and how their mixed background and cultures influence the unique way they navigate their every-day lives.
Read MoreWhat are the three points that you would like Defra to pick up on?
A: It is essential for Defra, and the Government as a whole, to understand that the way we make, use and throwaway our clothes is unsustainable. Our excessive fashion consumption is causing a waste problem both in the UK and overseas.
Defra should make fashion retailers take responsibility for the textile waste they create by introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles and reward companies that take positive action to reduce waste. The Government’s recent pledge to review and consult on how to deal with textile waste by 2025 is too little too late. We need action before the end of this parliament (2022).
We would also like to see the Department consider whether it could apply its promised tax on virgin plastics to synthetic garments that don’t contain recycled plastic.
Defra should also bring together fashion retailers, water companies and washing machine manufacturers to work together to solve the problem of microfibre pollution. We need changes in the law to end the era of throwaway fashion.
Read MoreThe European Commission is waiting for a result, there are no more negotiating rounds planned, in fact the negotiating team has gone back to their usual, non-Brexit related tasks. While there have been reports that the EU would be willing to extend the Article 50 deadline beyond March 29, it is only possible if there is a request for such a step and additionally, a well rounded reason for the extension. The EU is waiting for the UK to identify a future path they want to follow. In the absence of such a plan or strategy, the Commission will not be extending the deadline.
Read MoreAs in all negotiations parties go in considering their own best interest and asking for everything they feel they can and should have. It would be great to have a written position on the asks and offers of the UK Government as well. It seems for the time being there are statements made behind closed doors (in Brussels) and statements made in public (in the UK) and these two are not quite aligned yet.
Read More"The Blue Planet effect is sweeping across Westminster and it’s time for the fashion industry to take a grip of this movement"
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