“We need to close the sweatshops” says Tory MP

EXCLUSIVE – Parts of Leicester’s garment industry have been allowed to operate beyond the law and become a breeding ground for organised crime – that’s the claim of Andrew Bridgen, a UK Member of Parliament for the constituency of North West Leicestershire. In an interview with Apparel Insider, Bridgen argued there has been a selective implementation of the law in Leicester’s garment industry, large parts of which “have been allowed to operate without the kind of normal oversight and regulation we expect of businesses in the UK. At best this is a systematic failure of regulations and protections for people working in the industry.”

Saeed Khilji, chairman of the Textile Manufacturer Association of Leicester, has questioned the claims. He told Apparel Insider: “We are also against bad practices in Leicester. If anybody has evidence [of criminal wrongdoing] they should provide it to the authorities and they can take action. I always support the authorities to make it right.”