CAFOD urges government to ensure Brexit trade deals fight poverty

CAFOD is leading calls for the government to negotiate trade deals in the interests of both the UK and the world's poorest communities. The aid agency is launching a letter-writing campaign for Catholics to remind their MPs that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox must consider the impact on the world's most vulnerable people of any new trade deals negotiated after the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.

The call comes in a paper, International Trade for the Common Good, which was published this week.

Ruth Stanley, CAFOD's Political Adviser, said: "We know that being able to trade is a critical tool for people to pull themselves out of poverty - whether flower sellers in Kenya, or coffee producers in Guatemala. This means we must enable businesses both here and abroad to trade in a way that benefits everyone.

"The UK is now in a position where we can adopt policies that benefit even more poor communities by making it easier for them to export valuable products to us, and which create a 'race for the top' by encouraging responsible business.

"As Pope Francis says, the poorest and most vulnerable people must not be an 'afterthought' in political and economic discussions. This means that we need to think of the impact on both people and our common home when we negotiate our trade deals. Put simply, no one should ever find themselves in poverty as a result of UK trade policy decisions."

CAFOD says in the paper that the International Trade Secretary should ensure trade deals negotiated after Brexit strengthen democracy, support small business, take into account benefits and costs for all affected groups, uphold the dignity of work, and care for Creation.

Ruth Stanley said: "The Prime Minister has stated her intention to start the process of leaving the EU in March, following a vote in Parliament. This means that now is the time to remind MPs that they should have a role in scrutinising trade deals, and to ask them to ensure that the global Britain the government has pledged is one that creates opportunity, rather than poverty."

Read International Trade for the Common Good here: http://cafod.org.uk/content/download/33446/413243/version/1/file/International%20Trade%20for%20the%20Common%20Good%20-%20CAFOD%20-%20January%202017.pdf

Write to your MP at www.cafod.org.uk/trade