Just Food response from LibDem MP hopeful Kevin Lang

James writes: The following is an email response from Kevin Lang, prospective candidate for the Lib Dems for MP of Edinburgh North and Leith.  I asked about his and his party’s response to issues about food production and provision, especially within the UK, building on our Lent groups focus on Just Food.

I was only able to email Kevin because only his party had leafletted my flat! PLEASE do address your concerns on this issue to the other parties if you find their contact details, and add their responses here for the church to make informed decisions come election time.

Dear James,

Many thanks for your email.  I certainly appreciate you taking the time to contact me.

As you can imagine, with my family shop’s history, these are issues I have some considerable interest in and you make a number of very important points in relation to food production in this country, particularly on the farmer pay and the issue of supermarket power.

Fundamentally, I believe Britain’s farmers and small shops are facing a serious crisis and that people are often exploited by supermarkets’ ever increasing market power.

It is something that my party has taken very seriously.  That is why the Liberal Democrats would introduce a legally binding Supermarket Code of practice along with an Independent Food Market Regulator to ensure a fair price for food. This would ensure that supermarkets will no longer be able to exploit their market power to bully small shops, farmers and other small businesses. Supermarkets’ ever increasing power has contributed to high prices for consumers locally where a supermarket can have monopoly, and too many rural shops and farmers are being squeezed out of business with fewer jobs and less choice.

Liberal Democrats have always advocated the co-operative development of supply chains founded on a set of fair and transparent principles. I believe the food market is unfair and needs legally enforced rules to govern the relationships between supermarkets, suppliers and consumers.

A Supermarket Regulator would act as a Food Trade Inspector that would have proactive power to break the stranglehold over Britain’s food market held by the supermarket “trolleygarchy” and actively investigate abuses of market power. We will also create a legally binding supermarket code of practice to ensure tougher, more effective rules for the whole food chain. This would guarantee that supermarkets do not exploit suppliers, farmers or consumers. A stronger code, backed by a robust regulator and proactive enforcement mechanism, would give suppliers the confidence to innovate and invest in the future and to provide a greater choice with better and fairer priced products.

The Government say that they support a voluntarily code of practice and an ombudsman to enforce compliance. Yet I believe they have failed to stand up to the supermarkets over the last 13 years and present proposals for an ombudsman, whilst being a step in the right direction, are weak, lack any teeth and are ultimately too little too late.

As you can see, it is something I do take a great interest on and is something I would be keen to take up if I am fortunate enough to be elected the new Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North & Leith.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact me.

Kevin