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Mps Urged To Support Local Food

04 December 2008, 14:52 PM
  • The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is encouraging MPs to Keep Trade Local by buying their turkey and sprouts from local shops this Christmas.

The FSB is lobbying Members of Parliament to source their Christmas dinner locally and is delighted that Ian Cawsey MP has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Parliament calling on his fellow MPs to buy their festive feast from local shops. The Motion has already received cross party support from MPs including Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat) and Brian Binley (Conservative).

Comments FSB national chairman, John Wright, said, “Each year more than 2,000 small shops are forced to close, and in these testing times we fear that number could rise. This Christmas we ask for MPs to support our small shops on our high streets and in our communities. Buying your Christmas dinner locally puts 50% of what you spend back into the local economy, as opposed to only five per cent spent in supermarkets and chain stores.

“We are urging small businesses, to contact their MP and ask them to sign the EDM ‘MPs Christmas Dinners’,” he added.

Ian Cawsey MP, comments, “I very much support the campaign by the Federation of Small Businesses to support local shops. I am lucky that in the village I live in we have a butcher and a fruit and vegetable shop that sources much of their produce from local farms so I do what I can to support them and I encourage others to do the same. The idea of MPs sourcing their Christmas dinner from local shops is a great one, I’ll be doing that and I hope my colleagues are successful; in being able to do so.”

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