We’re asking our MPs to meet us to talk about the importance of repair, as well as to read and endorse the Manchester Declaration.
UPDATE: The Manchester Declaration has been superseded by the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration, which was created by the UK repair movement in late 2023 and calls on UK policymakers to introduce specific policies to help foster repair and reuse. Learn more about it here.
Our idea for this meeting is to
Introduce our work locally - and the scope/scale, using stats from the Fixometer
Thank our MP for a good record on environmental issues (found on TheyWorkforYou) - if relevant
If all the stars align we may have our local MP and RT TV together at our next Repair event. My hope is we can get him to endorse the Manchester Deceleration on the TV.
Just to add to Janet’s points, a key area we would like address at policy level is that access to spare parts and repair information needs to exist for all products and to be guaranteed for everyone, not just professional repairers.
We’re specific about this, because of the initial mentions of repair in EU regulations are far less inclusive, and would for example not grant access to repair documentation to Repair Cafes and Restart Parties volunteers
stand with us for our Right to Repair, by making repair more accessible and affordable
@ugo Any plans to make this wording more explicit, as it could be interpreted that allowing only professional repairers access to this data is complying with this aspect of the MD?
Really good point. We’re not planning to change the text of the declaration, however we are thinking about additional resources that could address specific policy asks in the UK context, as hinted in the blog post I’ve linked above. So that once we have sufficient attention by MPs, we can articulate what a universal Right to repair looks like
Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Kilburn has endorsed it and written to the government to ask what steps they have taken to encourage industry to act
Thanks - that’s great! In case you can follow up with your MP, you could also ask her to specifically endorse the Declaration with an email to policy@therestartproject.org (please ignore in case you’ve already suggested it!)
Reading the letter from Meg Hillier and recalling from my conversation with Helen Hayes, MPs are (rightly) confused about which ministry is leading on longer-lasting products @Alison_Buckland.
While traditionally Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has lead on energy efficiency in appliances, as Europe has expanded the question of “efficiency” to cover the whole of a product’s lifecycle, repair-related regulation has been given to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Given past experience, it is probably still a good idea for us to maintain a link to BEIS in case the government decides to yet again move this issue or redesign the ministries. But at this point in time, we are in contact with Defra on the issue.
Great! Helen Hayes, who I talked to, sits on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee and says they just put out a report on waste, mostly focusing on plastics and packaging. Not sure entirely how much we agree with, but could be an entry point. The general point that central government needs to coordinate and fund more ambitious action on resources is welcome.
UPDATE: The Manchester Declaration has been superseded by the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration, which was created by the UK repair movement in late 2023 and calls on UK policymakers to introduce specific policies to help foster repair and reuse. Learn more about it here.
and ask them to email their endorsement to policy@therestartproject.org75 signatory groups
20 allied groups
15 MPs endorsed from
Conservatives,
Labour,
Lib Dems &
Greens
