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Public institutions in the UK – including local councils and some universities – have been banned from boycotting unethical goods, with a threat of “severe punishments” if they do so.
Previously, public bodies would have been able to boycott companies on ethical grounds such as animal welfare, environmental concerns, or human rights.
In 2014 Leicester council decided to boycott goods produced in the West Bank, and were soon joined by four Scottish councils. Some local authorities and student unions boycott Nestlé products over concerns about its over-zealous marketing of baby milk formula. The new Government policy outlaws these kinds of procurement decisions.
Amnesty International UK’s Economic Relations Programme Director has warned that the policy will remove any incentive for companies to stop human rights abuses in their supply chains, as public bodies can no longer hold them to account by threatening to refuse contracts.
If enough people sign this petition, the Prime Minister will see that our councils and universities should have a right to boycott companies whose actions we find unethical.
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