March 17th, 2009
Wycombe For Fairtrade acknowledge that the failure to secure the Fairtrade Motion at Wycombe District Council is an enormous disappointment and a setback to achieving Fairtrade Town status for High Wycombe. However, achieving Council support is only one of the five major requirements for a Fairtrade Town. We will continue to work towards the other goals and hope to secure Council support in the future. Wycombe For Fairtrade was delighted to learn that Bucks New University has achieved Fairtrade University status.
February 23rd, 2009
On Thursday, 26th February 2009 there will be a crucial vote at the full meeting of Wycombe District Council at 6.30pm. Supporters of Fairtrade are urged to attend.
At a previous meeting members had voted to support the passage of a Fairtrade Motion by Wycombe District Council. However, at the last meeting of the Town Committee, Councillor Lesley Clarke proposed a resolution quashing the Fairtrade Motion. This will be debated and voted upon on Thursday by the Full Council.
If the Fairtrade Motion is killed off on Thursday, it may not be proposed again for another two years - so it is really vital that we persuade members to do the right thing on Thursday.
You can write to your local councillor at http://www.writetothem.com. Please don’t leave it to someone else!
January 27th, 2009
At the meeting of High Wycombe Town Committee, Councillor Lesley Clarke tabled a surprise motion which would prevent High Wycombe becoming a Fairtrade Town for at least two years.
She said:
“I do not think we should be spending more money on things like this which are really a whim”
Naturally, members of Wycombe For Fairtrade were bitterly disappointed but vowed to fight on.
More coverage can be found at the Bucks Free Press website.
October 8th, 2008
Wycombe For Fairtrade were dismayed that at the full meeting of Wycombe District Council on Monday 6th October 2008, a motion supporting Fairtrade was not allowed to be debated.
Six members of the Wycombe For Fairtrade steering group attended the meeting to hear the debate on the motion proposed by Cll Brian Pollock. The full text of the motion can be found here. Cllr Pollock made a passionate statement in support of the motion, citing the 377 councils which have already approved such a motion - including those in Buckinghamshire. Council Leader Cllr Lesley Clarke then rose to voice her concerns regarding the ‘cost’ of approving such a motion. She immediately moved that the proposal be moved to a committee stage, which was seconded by one of her colleagues and the Chair ruled that he would allow no further debate on the matter.
Members of Wycombe For Fairtrade, many of whom had never attended a council meeting before, were visibly shocked that no-one else was permitted to speak in the debate.
Coverage on the Bucks Free Press website can be found here.
