The pledge challenges candidates to consider whether they could fight an election without printed products and also provides myth-busting facts about the effectiveness and sustainability of print in order to persuade candidates to commit to backing the industry if elected.
Those who sign the pledge and are successful in their constituencies will be contacted by the BPIF and asked to join the All-Party Parliamentary Print Group (APPPG), which is chaired by South Basildon and East Thurrock MP and former SME printer Stephen Metcalfe. If candidates are successful, the pledge urges them to take action on supporting print and asks them to visit printers in their constituencies.
BPIF chief executive Charles Jarrold said: “I think it’s more important than ever how printers are engaging and getting engaged with what we’re trying to do with the pledge, which is to get MPs to think about print.
“It’s a great moment for them to pay attention to things that otherwise we might not get them to pay attention to and we’ve had a positive reaction already.”
Jarrold added that the BPIF’s Priorities for Print 2017-2019 document’s launch has now been delayed until after the election, at which point he will encourage those who have pledged to contribute.
Candidates to have signed the pledge so far are Somerton and Frome Liberal Democrat candidate Mark Blackburn, Winchester Liberal Democrat candidate Jackie Porter, West Worcestershire Labour candidate Samantha Charles and Bracknell Labour candidate Paul Bidwell.
The UK electorate will head to the polls this Thursday (8 June), with the majority of pollsters predicting a Conservative majority, although more recent figures suggest Labour is closing the gap. A PrintWeek poll conducted last month found more than half of respondents backing the Conservatives (53%) and less than a quarter supporting Labour (24%).
