Opinion: Guildford Must Help in The Fight Against The Spreading Plague Of Modern Slavery

Published on: 9 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 10 Dec, 2019

Cllr James Walsh

By Cllr James Walsh

Labour borough councillor for Stoke

There is a pernicious, growing disease spreading across the UK, infecting every city and hundreds of towns and villages across the country.

Modern slavery is a cancer on the underbelly of the economy and our society. Across the world, vulnerable people of both sexes, all ages and all ethnicities are being trafficked and forced to work in legitimate and illegitimate jobs, from drugs farms to prostitution and construction, from agriculture and gambling to the service industries.

With 28 incidents recorded in Surrey in 2016, 49 in 2017, 72 in 2018 and at least 115 in the past year, the surge is worrying. This so-called “hidden crime” is on the increase, more people are being exploited and we have detected only a fraction of it.

Months ago, The Guardian reckoned that an estimated 13 million people were enslaved between the 15th and 19th centuries at height of the transatlantic trade. Today, an estimated 40 million people worldwide are living in some form of slavery, with 71% of victims women or girls and 10 million children.

In today’s Britain, more than 136,000 people are suspected of living in modern slavery, up 113,000 between the period we have figures for in 2013 and 2016. This is very likely just the tip of the iceberg.

These vulnerable people are being coerced into working for little or no money, gangmasters extracting exorbitant fees and charging rents that chain them into a state of bondage and forced servitude.

We can help combat this disgraceful situation by reporting concerns we may have in our neighbourhoods or by legislating to prevent criminals from tightening their grip on the most vulnerable.

Last week, the Labour group tabled a motion at Guildford Borough full council to make GBC join 50 other councils, including Surrey County Council, in signing the Charter Against Modern Slavery.

By signing, the council can ensure the money it spends on services is not going into the pockets of slavers, either directly or indirectly through its supply chains.

The charter pledges councils to take a proactive approach, training their procurement teams to understand the problem in its many forms, to make sure contractors comply with the 2015 Modern Slavery Act and to investigate any unusually low-cost tenders.