Public Procurement is the Lever We Are Not Pulling in the UK: The Call for British-Made Uniforms To Be at the Heart of Number 10 North
Public Procurement is the Lever We Are Not Pulling in the UK: The Call for British-Made Uniforms To Be at the Heart of Number 10 North
For Immediate Release:
London, 31st July 2026 – Fashion Roundtable and signatories from across the UK fashion and textiles industry, including Ben Fogle, Presenter, Author and Co-owner of Buffalo Systems, have written an open letter to the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, calling for public procurement contracts for textile goods, beginning with defence and NHS uniforms, to be awarded to suppliers who manufacture onshore in the UK.
The letter asks for a meeting with the Prime Minister before the details of the Number 10 North initiative are finalised, arguing that procurement is the fastest and most practical way to deliver on the commitments that the Prime Minister made outside Downing Street around decentralisation, reindustrialisation and rebalancing power away from Whitehall and towards the regions.
The signatories call on the Government to deliver cohesive, place-based industrial policy specifically through:
1. The introduction of onshoring requirements in public contracts for textile goods, beginning with defence and NHS uniforms;
2. The establishment of a dedicated manufacturing and textiles task force to unify fragmented policy across DCMS, DBT, Defra and the MOD.
The call is grounded in Fashion Roundtable's recent report Policy Fragmentation and Place-Based Opportunity in UK Fashion and Textiles (April 2026), produced in partnership with the University of Birmingham's Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub.
The report also highlighted that the barrier to keeping UK factories open is not due to a lack of skills or capability, but that fashion and textiles fall into a policy gap between creative industries and manufacturing, which has allowed the sector to fall behind our peers from other creative industries. This leaves the industry exposed to short-term policy interventions and weak coordination across national, devolved, and local levels.
It identified that the biggest lever we have to support skills retention, inclusive growth and regional resilience is awarding public procurement contracts for textile goods to suppliers who manufacture onshore in the UK.
Tamara Cincik, CEO of Fashion Roundtable, said:
“During the pandemic I saw a total fiasco in the procurement of vitally needed PPE. Kate Hills and I were asked by the then government to attend regular calls on public procurement and it was clear to both of us that the right hand did not know what the left hand was doing, and this is all avoidable if public procurement is brought back onshore. Not only for the job and income it brings back to Britain, but also to ensure greater transparency, reduce waste and stabilise British manufacturing.”
Kate Hills, founder and CEO of Make it British said:
“The single biggest ask is a British-made requirement in public contracts for textile goods, starting with defence and NHS uniforms, and crucially it must specify where products are manufactured, not just where the winning company is registered, otherwise the work will carry on going offshore through UK-based middlemen. If the Prime Minister means what he said outside Downing Street about using public procurement to back British industry, this is how he can prove it to the UK fashion and textile industry.”
The letter reflects a decade of Fashion Roundtable's work on decentralisation, reindustrialisation and public procurement, captured perfectly in its ethos of Policy. People. Place.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Media contacts:
Meg Pirie, Head of Policy and Partnerships, Fashion Roundtable, meg.pirie@fashionroundtable.co.uk
Natalia Cassel, Comms Partner, natalia@casselconsultancy.com
Tamara Cincik, CEO of Fashion Roundtable is available for interviews.
The Fashion Roundtable reports mentioned:
Policy Fragmentation and Place-Based Opportunity in UK Fashion and Textiles (April 2026), Fashion Roundtable with the University of Birmingham LPIP Hub. Fashion Roundtable’s Sector Vision Manifesto (2024) where we outlined clear recommendations including targeted support for UK manufacturing and on-shoring, a commitment to the British made, strengthening of public procurement, and an investment in UK manufacturing through consistent and secure orders.
To sign the letter: Please follow the link here to the Google Form.
About Fashion Roundtable: Fashion Roundtable is fashion's leading think tank and change agency, and the only organisation dedicated to reimagining a creative and responsible fashion industry. Its team, drawn from fashion, industry, economics, academia and politics, delivers independent, evidence-based research and policy roadmaps for the sector, including its Sector Vision for fashion and textiles. Fashion Roundtable is a non-partisan and independent voice.
Read the open letter below:
Dear Prime Minister,
We are writing at the forefront of the UK fashion and textile industry, an industry that contributes £62bn to UK GDP and 1.3million jobs. However the full economic value and potential of the UK fashion and textiles industry in relation to public procurement has not been fully realised and this is a missed opportunity.
With a change in leadership we feel this offers promising opportunities, and aligns with our work and core values at Fashion Roundtable. The Prime Minister's words outside Downing Street reinforced issues that Fashion Roundtable have been working on for the last decade: decentralisation, reindustrialisation and public procurement, and rebalancing power away from Whitehall and towards the regions. These key policies tie in with Fashion Roundtable’s ethos of Policy. People. Place.
We particularly welcome the Prime Minister’s comments:
"We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more. And in doing more, build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again. Re-industrialising Britain, using public procurement to back British industry.”
Public Procurement was recently raised by the now Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Bryant, during the February 2026 Westminster Hall debate on onshoring fashion and textiles, stating “it would be good if more of our British servicemen and women were dressed in British uniforms”.
Further, Patrick Grant’s evidence at the 2023 Localism Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting organised by Fashion Roundtable highlights this very point, stating that Britain once employed 2.5 million people in textiles, and that reviving domestic demand could allow UK factories to re-employ laid-off skilled workers.
In fact, British manufacturing was once the backbone of our economy: we grew our own natural fibres, we made our own clothing and provided uniforms for defence, the NHS and frontline services. While the 2025 Defence Industrial Strategy pledges to back British business and transform procurement to support SMEs, its focus is weapons and AI systems, not the uniforms and protective equipment worn by frontline personnel. With defence spending set to rise from 2.7% of GDP in 2027 to 5% by 2035, this is a significant missed opportunity.
In this letter, we present two policy opportunities that recognise public procurement as a key policy lever for change which we would like the Prime Minister to consider. These are to 1. the introduction of onshoring requirements in public contracts for textile goods, beginning with defence and NHS uniforms; 2. The establishment of a dedicated manufacturing and textiles task force to unify fragmented policy across DCMS, DBT, Defra, MOD, DHSC and the Cabinet Office.
We present the following evidence to support this below.
Covid Personal Protective Equipment: The Case Study for Policy Fragmentation.
For Fashion Roundtable, the pandemic remains the ultimate case study of the cost of policy fragmentation. The Covid Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procurement scandal has left a long-term legacy. The July 2026 Covid Inquiry Report shows that £10bn of public money was wasted on substandard or over-ordered PPE from overseas. This highlights key systemic failures: a system which bypassed British manufacturers, did not take into account data from proven textile experts, and exposed the danger of total offshoring when goods were unusable.
During the pandemic our CEO Tamara Cincik, worked with the Emergency Designer Network as a key policy advisor, sitting in various meetings with Government, and sounded the alarm on the Government’s catastrophic failure to utilise domestic manufacturing for PPE. Despite a full mapping of the manufacturing supply chain of UK textile manufacturers to make the PPE locally, it was rejected by the government in favour of offshore manufacturers.
Public Procurement is the Lever We Are Not Pulling in the UK.
We have an extensive body of work in relation to public procurement.
This is evident in Fashion Roundtable’s Sector Vision Manifesto (2024) where we outlined clear recommendations including targeted support for UK manufacturing and on-shoring, a commitment to the British made, strengthening of public procurement, and an investment in UK manufacturing through consistent and secure orders.
This is also apparent through our recent briefing British Wool and the Farming Roadmap for 2050: Key Recommendations to Defra Ministers on the Farming Roadmap which came to the same conclusion: procurement of British wool and homegrown fibres for Government-funded projects and uniforms is a ready-made opportunity to deliver on the Roadmap's own commitments.
Earlier this year, Fashion Roundtable published Policy Fragmentation and Place-Based Opportunity in UK Fashion and Textiles, in partnership with University of Birmingham’s Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub, which evaluated the potential of the sector to create social mobility opportunities and drive sustainable economic growth.
The key finding of the research was that the biggest lever we have to support skills retention, inclusive growth and regional resilience is awarding public procurement contracts for textile goods to suppliers who manufacture onshore in the UK. The report also found that relatively modest reforms, including longer-term contracts, clearer forecasting, accessible contract sizes and improved payment terms, could significantly strengthen local value chains while delivering social value and value for money. The stability that public procurement contracts would provide would have far reaching impacts on factories, staff, and the communities they are a part of.
Our evidence also showed that the issue with keeping our factories open isn’t a lack of skills or capabilities but that fashion and textiles fall into a policy gap between creative industries and manufacturing, which has allowed the sector to fall behind our peers from other creative
industries. This leaves the industry exposed to short-term policy interventions and weak coordination across national, devolved, and local levels.
Governments elsewhere are increasingly using procurement contracts to mandate circular production practices and bolster domestic manufacturing. France’s textile industry is a shining example. A study published by the Union des Industries Textiles found that products labelled “Made in France” capture up to 84% of the value created, compared to approximately 35% for imported goods. This starkly illustrates the economic benefit of domestic production and the massive opportunity for the UK economy.
We call on the Government to deliver cohesive, place-based industrial policies specifically through:
1. The introduction of onshoring requirements in public contracts for textile goods, beginning with defence and NHS uniforms;
2. The establishment of a dedicated manufacturing and textiles task force to unify
fragmented policy across DCMS, DBT, Defra, MOD, DHSC and the Cabinet Office.
We request a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss these opportunities before the ‘Number 10 North’ initiative details are finalised.
Yours Sincerely,
Tamara Cincik, CEO, Fashion Roundtable
Fashion Roundtable is fashion’s leading think-tank and change agency.
1. Alice McAnulty, Head of Strategy, The Ready House
2. Alice Robinson, Director, British Pasture Leather
3. Alison Carlin, Co-Founder, Manchester Fashion Movement CIC
4. Alix Coombs, Strategic Consultant, Fashion Roundtable
5. Alyson Dickson, Retired
6. Amelia Twine, Founder, A Single Thread CIC
7. Andrew Filarowski, Technical Director, Society of Dyers and Colourists
8. Angharad Mars-Jones, Radiographer, Betsi Cadwaladr Trust
9. Anna McFadyen, CEO, Mozzie Cozzie Ltd
10. Anne Fontenoy, Designer Dressmaker and Visual Artist, Anne Fontenoy
11. Ben Fogle, Presenter, Author and Co-owner of Buffalo Systems
12. Caroline Downey, Executive Director, Women Working Worldwide
13. Caryn Franklin, Writer, Broadcaster, Commentator, FACE Fashion and the Arts Creating Equity
14. Charles Ross, Lecturer, Royal College of Art
15. Charlotte Owen, Midwife, NHS
16. Chinazo Ufodiama, Brands Strategist & Communications Advisor, Chinazo.co
17. Christian Murphy, CEO, Albion Knitting Company
18. Christine Megson MBE, Director, Megson Management Ltd
19. Cindy Berman, Public Procurement & Human Rights Expert
20. Clare Phipps, Senior Liaison Officer, RELM Construction
21. Claudia Simms Abram, Chief Brand Officer, DEPLOY
22. Conrad Quilty-Harper, Editor, Dark Luxury
23. Cozette McCreery, Fashion Consultant and BA Fashion Design Tutor, Freelance
24. Cyprian DeCoteau, Designer, PEOPLE Cyprian DeCoteau
25. Deb Bamford, Historical Natural Dyer, The Mulberry Dyer
26. Deborah Barker, Director, South East England Fibreshed
27. Deirdre Williams, Textiles Consultant, Stitch Saves Nine
28. Denise McFall, Retired Nurse
29. Dominic McNally, LightSummit
30. Dr Graham Clayton, CEO, Society of Dyers and Colourists
31. Dr Heather McLaren Hall, Engineering and Fibre Arts, University of Leeds
32. Dr Patsy Perry, Reader in Fashion Marketing, Manchester Metropolitan University
33. Eleanor Pritchard, Account Executive, Eco Age
34. Elena Crehan-Jones, Course Leader BA (Hons) Fashion + BA (Hons) Textiles, Arts University Bournemouth
35. Emily Chalmers, Stylist, Author, Shop Owner, Caravan Style
36. Emily Penn, Founder, eXXpedition CIC
37. Emma McClelland, Director, Knitster LDN
38. Frances Turner, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Skills for Fashion & Textiles, Bath Spa University
39. Gemma Gratton, CEO, Manchester Fashion Week
40. Gracie Hicks, Director enterprise, training & production, Stiches In Time / FabricWorks
41. Harriet Fletcher-Gilhuys, Textiles Researcher, Fashion Roundtable
42. Heather Martin, Course Leader BA Fashion Design, Arts University Plymouth
43. Helen Boden Colebourn, Garment Technologist, HBC Technology
44. Helen Butt, Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes, University of Leeds
45. Hon Pong Wong, Creative Director, Material Researcher & Visiting Academic, Loom Loop London
46. Ineta Joksaite, Founder, DeLoop
47. Isabella Garigue, Head of Operations, Laurent Garigue Partnership
48. Isabelle Randall, Fashion Designer and Tailor, isabelleRANDALL
49. J Waugh, British Consumer, None
50. James Laxton, Managing Director, Laxtons Specialist Yarns
51. Janet Wilson (CText FTI), Chair, London & SE England Section, Textile Institute
52. Jasmine DuPlessis, Student
53. Jason Leung, Project Manager, NHS
54. Jean Ross-Timmes, Curriculum Leader, Fashion & Textile Department, Morley College London
55. Jemima Quin-Harkin, Stylist and brand owner, Parasol Rose & Mim Quin-Harkin
56. Jennie Edwards, Doctor, GP for OOH in Powys and Shropshire and Speciality Doctor for Hereford Sexual Health Clinic
57. Jennifer Wilde, Technical Tutor, Arts University Plymouth
58. Jo Storie, Design Consultant, Jo Storie Design Consultancy
59. Jocelyn Whipple, Fashion Consultant, The Right Project
60. Jodi Muter-Hamilton, Director, Other Day & Fashion Roundtable Board Member
61. John Horner, Chairman, British Fashion Model Agents BFMA
62. John McNally, Retired, Chair of Ethical and Sustainable Fashion APPG
63. Julian Hinds, NHS Worker, Health Hero
64. Julian Vogel, Partner, ModusBPCM
65. Kate Fletcher, Professor of Sustainability, Design and Fashion Systems, Manchester Metropolitan University
66. Kate Hills, Founder, Make it British & Fashion Roundtable Board Member
67. Kate Scott, Medical Herbalist and Shepherdess, The Drovers Daughter & Lincoln College
68. Katie Doherty, Senior Product Specialist & Advisor (Fashion Production & Trims), YKK Europe
69. Keziah Luxmoore, Sales & Partnerships Manager, The Trampery
70. Laura Gibson, Associate Director, Sancroft International
71. Laura Ward-Ongley MBE, CEO, EXEAT
72. Lisa Gilbert, Fashion Designer, Pattern Cutter, Seamstress & Lecturer, Yorkshire Born & Thread
73. Liz Roscoe, Communications Consultant, Lenzing
74. Lois Winfield, Retired Textile Design & Development Manager, Baby Sector
75. Lorraine Mitchell, Designer, Lorraine Mitchell
76. Lorraine Purchase, Textile Designer, Rosie Dog Design
77. Louise Nicolson, Director, Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers
78. Louise Perry, Director, Alite
79. Lucie Harrild, Corporate Sustainability Professional and Responsible Fashion Founder, Comhla
80. Lucy Walker, Founder, DRYRZ
81. Maggie Watson, Radiographer, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
82. Margaret A Macleod, Chief Executive Officer, Harris Tweed Hebrides
83. Marina Blackburn, Knitwear designer, textile dyer, Marina Skua
84. Mark Randle, CEO/Technical Director, Galaxius Systems Ltd
85. Marko Martysik, Freelance Sole Trader
86. Maxine Wells, Owner and Founder, Intimate Apparel Samples
87. Megan Pirie, Head of Policy, Fashion Roundtable
88. Michael Cusack, Chief Sustainability Officer, ACS Clothing Ltd.
89. Mike Harding, CEO, Notjust Clothing
90. Mircea Bucur, Head of Engineering, LightSummit
91. Monika Jakubiak, Fashion Design Consultant
92. Naomi Smith, CEO, Best for Britain
93. Natalie Binns, Buying and Sourcing Consultant, Better Fashion Consultancy
94. Natasha Francis
95. Natasha Nickson, Partnerships Manager, Soil Association Certification
96. Nicholas Morley, Owner, Faering
97. Nicola Mansfield, Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster
98. Olivia Shave, Researcher, Soil.ED
99. Patrick Grant, Founder, Community Clothing
100. Perri Lewis, CEO, Mastered Studios
101. Pippa Gillard, COO, Elm Tree Textiles
102. Rebecca Beech, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Oxford Brookes University
103. Rebecca Jones, Sonographer, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
104. Rena Chauhan, Owner, Sublimation Print UK Ltd.
105. Richard Lothholz, Director of Operations, LightSummit
106. Rochelle Tracey, National Account Manager, Laxtons
107. Rosamund Ward, Clothes Designer, specialising in UK Manufacturing
108. Rosemarie Mitchell, Designer and Teacher, Just a Designer
109. Sally Blake, Design Consultant, Freelance
110. Sam Goates, Owner, Woven In The Bone
111. Sara Grady, Co-Founder, British Pasture Leather
112. Sarah Gilbert, Designer, Nicola Jane Ltd
113. Sarah Mower MBE, Ambassador for Emerging Talent, British Fashion Council; Chief Critic at Vogue.com, Sarah Mower LTD
114. Sarah Reygate, Makeup Artist, Agency
115. Sat Singh Sodhi, Director, Euro-Rose Group Limited
116. Shakaila Forbes-Bell, Fashion Psychologist, Fashion is Psychology Ltd.
117. Sheahan Steele, Proprietor, In-Stitches Clothes Tech
118. Shona Legaspi, Mum of Fashion Design Student, N/A
119. Simon Platts, CEO, Co-Founder and Consultant, Fashion and Textiles, Simon Platts Consulting & Circkit
120. Snahal Patel, Director, 23 Foxes Ltd - Knitwear Manufacturer
121. Stephen Donachie, Senior Sewing Machine Technician, Johnstons of Elgin
122. Steve Prince, Buying, Merchandising and Product Director, Alan Scott Ltd
123. T Good, Investigator, Civil Service
124. Tamara Henrikson, Graphic Designer, Freelance / Independent
125. Tamsin Blanchard, Freelance Journalist
126. Tamsin Murley, Interior Designer
127. Tiffanie Darke, Content Director, Story Studios
128. Tom Glover, Owner, Peregrine Clothing, J G Glover & Co Ltd, Knitwear Manufacturer and UK Clothing Brand
129. Vicki Sarge, Designer, VickiSarge
130. Vikki Fletcher Gilhuys, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents, Counsellor, Health Hero / BPAS (NHS)
131. Wendy Ward, PhD Researcher, Sheffield Hallam University
132. Yasmin Jones-Henry, Founder, The Lab W1