April 27, 2022
Wednesday 20th April was Better Business Day, a pivotal campaigning moment for the BBA ahead of the Queen’s Speech on 10th May this year. Nearly 200 supporters joined us in Westminster to meet their MPs, calling for a change to the Companies Act so that every company in the UK helps to create a cleaner, greener, fairer future for everyone.
At the morning rally, we heard from the BBA’s Campaign Director, Chris Turner, our two Co-chairs, Douglas Lamont and Mary Portas. We hosted a panel discussion featuring Anu Chugh from Pukka Herbs, Joanna Allen from graze, Mark Cuddigan from Ella’s Kitchen, and Chris Turner with fantastic audience questions, where the urgency of the need for change was loud and clear.
We continued over to Westminster where our presence in Parliament's Central Lobby attracted the attention of many MPs, lots of whom have now committed their support for the campaign. We held events in parliamentary rooms, hearing from Sir Keir Starmer, Caroline Lucas, Sarah Olney, and Seema Malhotra about the importance of the BBA and their support for it. Overall, we met nearly 50 MPs face to face and definitely made our mark on Westminster!
What's next?
We’ve asked everyone who came to Westminster to follow up with their MPs before the Queen's Speech on 10th May. The Government uses this speech to outline what it hopes to achieve in the Parliamentary year ahead. We’re hoping to see some of the Better Business Act's principles reflected in this, and can explore other avenues to secure support for the BBA within Parliament, for example through a Private Members' Bill. We'll be in touch with all the options after the 10th May, and how you can help.