In this Briefing Paper, Michael Gasiorek, Justyna A. Robinson, Rhys Sandow assess the views expressed by those who responded to the Labour Party’s 2023 national consultation on UK trade policy. Read Briefing Paper 81 –LABOUR’S PROGRESSIVE TRADE POLICY: CONSULTATIONS AND POLICY FORMULATION
Download Briefing Paper 81 Briefing Paper 81 - June 2024 Michael Gasiorek, Justyna A. Robinson, Rhys Sandow Key points Introduction Principal messages Results of responses to the LPF questions Conclusion Key points In 2023 the Labour Party initiated a National Policy Forum consultation as an input into their policy development. The consultation invited written responses which were open to both party members and the general public. The responses regarding progressive trade policy reveal a wide range of views on the role of trade and trade policy. Overall, across the responses to all the questions the strongest messages are that trade (policy) should aim to increase growth and productivity while also reducing poverty and inequality. At the same time there are five broader themes which emerge, which reveal a concern with the relationship between trade and welfare and rights, the environment, supply chains, (free) trade agreements, and the processes underpinning the negotiation of trade deals. Specifically, also, respondents overwhelmingly express negative stances towards Brexit and favour closer ties with the EU. Examining in more detail the responses by questions, picks up on some of the themes above, but also reveals a clear concern with what might be termed a [...]
Michael Gasiorek is Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory and Co-Director of the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy. He is Professor of Economics at the University of Sussex Business School. Justyna A. Robinson is a Reader in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Sussex and a Director of Concept Analytics Lab. In early 2023, the Labour Party launched a National Policy Forum. It comprised a series of public consultations across six core policy areas, with the stated aim of helping the Labour Party to ‘build their policy platform’. A key part of the consultation process was to invite written submissions on these policy areas. One of the six policy areas was entitled Britain in the World, (to which the UKTPO/CITP also responded), which posed a set of seven questions all of which related to trade and trade policy. Questions 1. What is the role of international trade in promoting domestic economic growth, boosting jobs and driving up wages? 2. How can Labour ensure the UK’s international trade policy promotes growth and investment across the nations and regions of the UK? 3. How can Labour build resilience into the international trade system and better ensure the security of essential supply chains? 4. How will a Labour government’s trade policy reduce poverty and global inequality whilst promoting (a) human rights, [...]
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