The following is a letter sent to the two Conservative Party leadership candidates at the end of August from Unchained UK. Unchained was incubated by The Ecology Trust, a grant-making charity established in 2003. It seeks to tackle the root causes of environmental and societal problems that makes the case for “common-sense protections which help keep people safe and allow businesses to thrive”. Its supporters can be seen here.
Here’s the letter:
Dear Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak MP & Rt. Hon. Liz Truss MP,
The United Kingdom has always been at the forefront of having strong protections and common-sense regulations. These protections are the invisible safety net that holds together our society and provides stability for the UK. They offer security and safety for the more vulnerable members of society, including our children and the elderly, and they create a level playing field that allows businesses to grow and thrive.
The undersigned organisations call on you, as contenders to be the next Prime Minister, to make a personal commitment to maintain these high UK standards and common-sense protections, and ensure that local and national regulators have the capacity to enforce the rules.
Polling and focus groups conducted by a range of organisations show strong support from swing voters in both ‘Red Wall’ and ‘Blue Wall’ constituencies for building on existing British standards. Voters want to be confident that the food they serve their families is of a high quality, that their rights at work are protected, that the rivers their children play in are clean, that the products being sold to their loved ones are safe. Both ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’ voters are united in this desire.
Strong, well-enforced regulations can ensure that the UK remains a world leader in public health, environmental and food standards, animal welfare, worker and consumer safety. Robust regulations will underpin moves to ‘level up’ the country – helping to drive up standards in local communities. And, at a time when people’s incomes are being squeezed, strong rules can provide a guarantee that basic quality and safety standards are being met – regardless of income.
This is the vision of the United Kingdom that we know is supported by the public. We urge that any changes to our regulations will be undertaken with a view to turning that vision into a reality.
Yours Sincerely,
Emma Rose and Phoebe Clay, co-Directors, Unchecked UK
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The letter is co-signed by a group of environmental, sustainability, civil society and political organisations. For example:
Jamie Cook, CEO, The Angling Trust and Fish Legal
Dr Nick Palmer, UK Director, Compassion in World Farming
Shaun Spiers, Executive Director, Green Alliance
Jemima Hartshorn, Founder, Mums for Lungs
Mark Lloyd, CEO, The Rivers Trust
Jo Lewis, Director of Policy and Strategy, Soil Association
Kate Metcalf, Co-Director, Women’s Environment Network
Ashley Smith, Chair, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution