Local Elections - The Fair Trade Question

[TYM]

In the absence of any hustings may I use this forum to ask 4 questions regarding Fair Trade of the Candidates for the forthcoming Elections as I am aware that most of them post here on vairious topics.

1. Will you actively engage with the local Fair Trade Group in Kintyre and actively encourage the formation other Groups with Argyll and Bute?

2. Will you encourage the procurement and provision of Fair Trade products, both within local businesses and the Council?

3. Will you seek opportunities to raise the awareness of Fair Trade in Scotland and do all you can to support the campaign to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation?

4. Will you support recognition of the fact that Kintyre is now a Fair Trade Zone by including this in road signage as and when new signs are erected and replaced? Such recognition already exists in the Donoon and Oban areas.

[John S]

The important thing I feel about Fair Trade is not so much about groups, products or promotion but about people realising that they can use their "need to consume" to make a difference, not only for emerging economies and growers but for the local economy and products here in Argyll and Bute, Increased promotion of Fair Trade can raise awareness in peoples buying power .

1. Will you actively engage with the local Fair Trade Group in Kintyre and actively encourage the formation other Groups with Argyll and Bute?

Yes

2. Will you encourage the procurement and provision of Fair Trade products, both within local businesses and the Council?

Yes but not exclusively - balanced with the promotion of the use of local produce and products.

3. Will you seek opportunities to raise the awareness of Fair Trade in Scotland and do all you can to support the campaign to make Scotland a Fair Trade Nation?

That will depend on the opportunities that exist. If the SNP form the administration of the new council then there will be such opportunities for me to mold council policy, if not then these opportunities are unlikely to be forthcoming.

4. Will you support recognition of the fact that Kintyre is now a Fair Trade Zone by including this in road signage as and when new signs are erected and replaced? Such recognition already exists in the Donoon and Oban areas.

Yes

Councillor John Semple

[D.H]

As the Chair of the Fairtrade Steering group in Kintyre I will certainly continue to encourage more people to use Fairtrade products and be active in supporting Fairtrade, and to advocate for more Fairtrade products to be available for Council departments to use through the procurement system. I would be working with the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, the Scottish Government, and local contacts to work towards Argyll & Bute, and Scotland becoming Fairtrade areas. I would be proud to ensure that road signage is given the same consideration as in Oban and Dunoon.

To me Fairtrade is a practical way to support producers in poorer parts of the world to be paid a fair price for their products to enable them to invest in their communities and enable their families to gain better healthcare, educational opportunities, and jobs, just as we aspire to for our communities.

Fairtrade is not a party political issue and I am sure that people of different parties and independents will work together on this in the Council if they believe in the value and difference that Fairtrade can make. I know that I am always happy to work with people from different political views if we are working towards a common goal such as Fairtrade.

Deirdre Henderson
Independent candidate
South Kintyre

'Independent thinking not party politics'

[John S]

Deirdre, you say you are for "Independent thinking not party politics" does that mean you would not work in coalition with a political party?

[Kintyre Forum News]

Not to go off topice here but Tym, great post. Been meaning to post something so you have prompted me to get my finger out cheers!

[Isa]

DH I am swithering about giving you a vote and haven't yet decided. This is just a question regarding your above post.

Whilst I agree with the fair trade concept and support it whenever I can, do you feel that it is your remit as a local councillor to put all your efforts into what is happening locally rather than communities abroad no matter how worthy the cause?

[D.H]

John what I mean is that I will represent my constituents rather than the interests of a party.

Isa, I feel that we are all interconnected on this planet. So, for instance, if people in poorer countries could grow crops that we need and get a fair price for them we might have less people growing drugs that get sold to our young people. I also think as an agricultural community we should be supportive of other agricultural communities who don't have the same economic power. Lastly, I think we should be setting an example to our young people that we don't promote slave labour - that old adage that you should treat people as you would wish to be treated. It doesn't take a lot of time for the Council to promote Fairtrade in the area or become a Fairtrade area as all the resources and support are there from existing national organisations, and local groups...just the will to do it. Plenty of other Councils have already done this.

If you want to see local artist, Jan Nimmo's, excellent, but shocking, half hour film Bonita: Ugly Bananas on non Faitrade banana growing here is the link http://vimeo.com/19898988

[Mr.Everready]

I will represent my constituents rather than the interests of a party.

( Sorry to go off topic )

And so should every councillor, local needs should come before any party allegiance. I know it doesn't work like that but at a local level it should be.

[John S]

way off thread....but

I totally agree with you Deirdre and Everready, our people must come first over everything else, but that doesn't answer the question -

Parties stand for election on a manifesto of what they will do as a group IF elected. If independent councilors are to run the council they form a "party" AFTER the election, so no-one gets to see whats on offer in any great extent before the election.

You have indicated you will join Argyll First if elected, what will that do for the people of South Kintyre that you, as a truly independent Councillor cannot? Are they not in-fact a party by any other name?

I have no problem with Argyll First forming a group after the elections and working with them for the benefit of this community, but voters need to understand the difference between being truly independent and forming a group after the election.

After all the present ruling group of so-called Independents (the Alliance of Independent Councillors) running this council are not a good role model.

[D.H]

As I said on a more relevant thread I would be interested to join Argyll First, if elected, as I don't believe the Council has been run in a democratic structure as some Councillors hold more power than others. Each Councillor should have the same power to vote on Argyll & Bute wide issues. I am surprised the bigger political party groups have never addressed this fundamental inequality in the past when they have had voting control of the Council. I also agree with the other aims of Argyll First http://forargyll.com/2011/06/argyll-first-ready-to-recruit-like-minded-candidates-for-2012-election/ and see no conflict with my vision for making Argyll & Bute a better place to live. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-for-Deirdre-Henderson/322051374526316

Unlike political parties who are bound by national commitments and allegiances, a local group of independently minded Councillors can focus more on the needs of the people who elected them. I certainly would not be doing a Vince Cable and signing up to any group that expected me to vote for something that I did not agree with as an independent Councillor looking to develop and promote Argyll & Bute.

[Anne Baird]

I've always shopped carefully. Apart from your vote, the greatest power you have is in your wallet. Apartheid in South Africa fell largely because people across the globe refused to buy their goods. The Norwegians revolutionised their fishing methods because people refused to buy their prawns. The French backed off from nuclear testing (and blowing up Greenpeace ships!) because people refused to buy their wine. Whole regions have been lifted out of poverty because people insisted on buying their products direct. That's massive power.

So my answer to all the questions is yes, where it is within my power I will always promote Fair Trade products. Improving the lives of hard working Mexican farmers is satisfying, but I also get great satisfaction from cutting out the middle man who makes his money just because he has money in the first place.

I think we need to address fair trading locally though. We need to have a serious debate about how to support and promote local shops and products. As it is, much of the wealth in this area goes into Tesco tills and disappears from our economy altogether. The Co-op at least puts some money back into the area and has always had a decent range of Fair Trade products. It would be nice to see some more of the council candidates in there, actually walking the walk. The only one I see there regularly is my friend John Semple.

[Barney McGrew]

The Co-op at least puts some money back into the area and has always had a decent range of Fair Trade products. It would be nice to see some more of the council candidates in there, actually walking the walk. The only one I see there regularly is my friend John Semple.

What an incredible statement, what proof have you that the other candidates don't use the co-op?

I'm also surprised at your comment on another thread on the elections "My first priority isn't for Campeltown and Kintyre alone but it's the most relevant". Reorganising the Council, I agree is long overdue but your first priority should always be South Kintyre.

I don't like the idea of partys putting up more than one candidates in each area ( The Tories did it in South Kintyre last time) but as an SNP supporter I was willing to give you a vote but you have just lost my second vote in fact by being so petty about the other candidates you have lost any vote from me.

[Anne Baird]

What an incredible statement, what proof have you that the other candidates don't use the co-op?

I make no apology for egging people on to shop ethically. I've got on well with the other candidates (can't speak for the one I haven't met), most of them for years, and have a lot that's good to say about them. If I'm wrong, I'll be happy to be corrected, but I do believe it starts with doing what you can personally.

Reorganising the Council, I agree is long overdue but your first priority should always be South Kintyre.

I can throw heart and soul into arguing for a decent slice of the cake but if the cake is a blue-moulded mess that won't amount to much and I won't have prioritised South Kintyre in any meaningful way.

you have just lost my second vote in fact by being so petty about the other candidates you have lost any vote from me.

The sheer irony of this is remarkable. Please check out those candidates who have Facebook accounts and take them into consideration. I haven't engaged with any of it. But I do want to see more people making the Co-op more viable as it's been the first and the greatest supporter of fair and ethical trading both locally and internationally. It's my belief that fair trade is not a thing you think, it's a thing you DO.

[yogino1pup]

Ann Baird has lost my vote too.

[Mo*]

What about village shops. Do the candidates shop there? Or just the co-op.
For all candidates not just Ann Baird. That is fair trade too.