Minister’s praise for fair trade (From Daily Echo)
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Minister’s praise for fair trade
8:21am Tuesday 24th February 2009 in Cabinet in Southampton
It’s in the BAG: Douglas Alexander gets a Southampton Solent University Fairtrade bag.
INTERNATIONAL development secretary Douglas Alexander praised Southampton’s efforts in promoting fair trade.
He came to Southampton Solent University to meet members of the Southampton Fair Trade Group and see some of the Fair Trade items on sale across the city, including coffee, chocolate and toys.
Mr Douglas, who took home two organic cotton bags and a Southampton Fair Trade directory, said: “These kinds of effort you are making make a huge difference to the lives and communities of people you will probably never meet.
“Their lives are being transformed by being allowed to do a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.”
He said he had “a sense of homecoming” visiting Southampton as his wife Jacqueline Christian was born and bred in the city.
He said: “John Denham is a tireless champion of Southampton, bettered only by my wife, who says it is the best place in Britain.”
Meanwhile the science minister Lord Drayson met staff and students at the University of Southampton during a question and answer session about science and technology.
During his visit Lord Drayson, who himself studied for a Phd in robotics, met students studying robotics and the university’s vice chancellor Professor Bill Wakeham.
