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. Andrew Filarowski, Technical Director, Society of Dyers and Colourists
7. Angharad Mars-Jones, Radiographer, Betsi Cadwaladr Trust
8. Anna McFadyen, CEO, Mozzie Cozzie Ltd
9. Anne Fontenoy, Designer Dressmaker and Visual Artist, Anne Fontenoy
10. Ben Fogle, Presenter, Author and Co-owner of Buffalo Systems
11. Caroline Downey, Executive Director, Women Working Worldwide
12. Charles Ross, Lecturer, Royal College of Art
13. Charlotte Owen, Midwife, NHS
14. Chinazo Ufodiama, Brands Strategist & Communications Advisor, Chinazo.co
15. Christine Megson MBT, Director, Megson Management Ltd
16. Cindy Berman, Public Procurement & Human Rights Expert
17. Claudia Simms Abram, Chief Brand Officer, DEPLOY
18. Clare Phipps, Senior Liaison Officer, RELM Construction
19. Cozette McCreery, Fashion Consultant and BA Fashion Design Tutor, Freelance
20. Cyprian DeCoteau, Designer, PEOPLE Cyprian DeCoteau
21. Deb Bamford, Historical Natural Dyer, The Mulberry Dyer
22. Denise McFall, Retired Nurse
23. Dominic McNally, LightSummit
24. Dr Graham Clayton, CEO, Society of Dyers and Colourists
25. Dr Heather McLaren Hall, Engineering and Fibre Arts, University of Leeds
26. Dr Patsy Perry, Reader in Fashion Marketing, Manchester Metropolitan University
27. Elena Crehan-Jones, Course Leader BA (Hons) Fashion + BA (Hons) Textiles, Arts University Bournemouth
28. Emily Chalmers, Stylist, Author, Shop Owner, Caravan Style
29. Emma McClelland, Director, Knitster LDN
30. Frances Turner, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Skills for Fashion & Textiles, Bath Spa University
31. Gemma Gratton, CEO, Manchester Fashion Week
32. Harriet Fletcher-Gilhuys, Textiles Researcher, Fashion Roundtable
33. Heather Martin, Course Leader BA Fashion Design, Arts University Plymouth
34. Helen Boden Colebourn, Garment Technologist, HBC Technology
35. Helen Butt, Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes, University of Leeds
36. Ineta Joksaite, Founder, DeLoop
37. Isabelle Randall, Fashion Designer and Tailor, isabelleRANDALL
38. J Waugh, British Consumer, None
39. Janet Wilson (CText FTI), Chair, London & SE England Section, Textile Institute
40. Jasmine DuPlessis, Student
41. Jean Ross-Timmes, Curriculum Leader – Fashion & Textile Department, Morley College London
42. Jennie Edwards, Doctor, GP for OOH in Powys and Shropshire and Speciality Doctor for Hereford Sexual Health Clinic
43. Jennifer Wilde, Technical Tutor, Arts University Plymouth
44. Jo Storie, Design Consultant, Jo Storie Design Consultancy
45. Jocelyn Whipple, Fashion Consultant, The Right Project
46. Jodi Muter-Hamilton, Director, Other Day & Fashion Roundtable Board Member
47. John McNally, Retired, Chair of Ethical and Sustainable Fashion APPG
48. Julian Hinds, NHS Worker, Health Hero
49. Julian Vogel, Partner, ModusBPCM
50. Katie Doherty, Senior Product Specialist & Advisor (Fashion Production & Trims), YKK Europe
51. Kate Hills, Founder, Make it British & Fashion Roundtable Board Member
52. Kate Scott, Medical Herbalist and Shepherdess, The Drovers Daughter & Lincoln College
53. Liz Roscoe, Communications Consultant, Lenzing
54. Lorraine Mitchell, Designer, Lorraine Mitchell
55. Lorraine Purchase, Textile Designer, Rosie Dog Design
56. Louise Nicolson, Director, Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers
57. Lucie Harrild, Corporate Sustainability Professional and Responsible Fashion Founder, Comhla
58. Maggie Watson, Radiographer, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
59. Marko Martysik, Freelance Sole Trader
60. Megan Pirie, Head of Policy, Fashion Roundtable
61. Michael Cusack, Chief Sustainability Officer, ACS Clothing Ltd.
62. Mircea Bucur, Head of Engineering, LightSummit
63. Monika Jakubiak, Fashion Design Consultant
64. Natasha Nickson, Partnerships Manager, Soil Association Certification
65. Nicola Mansfield, Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster
66. Pippa Gillard, COO, Elm Tree Textiles
67. Rebecca Beech, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Oxford Brookes University
68. Rebecca Jones, Sonographer, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
69. Rena Chauhan, Owner, Sublimation Print UK Ltd.
70. Richard Lothholz, Director of Operations, LightSummit
71. Rosamund Ward, Clothes Designer, specialising in UK Manufacturing
72. Sally Blake, Design Consultant, Freelance
73. Sara Grady, Co-Founder, British Pasture Leather
74. Sat Singh Sodhi, Director, Euro-Rose
75. Sheahan Steele, Proprietor, In-Stitches Clothes Tech
76. Simon Platts, CEO, Co-Founder and Consultant, Fashion and Textiles, Simon Platts Consulting & Circkit
77. Stephen Donachie, Senior Sewing Machine Technician, Johnstons of Elgin
78. T Good, Investigator, Civil Service
79. Tamara Henrikson, Graphic Designer, Freelance / Independent
80. Tamsin Blanchard, Freelance Journalist
81. Tamsin Murley, Interior Designer
82. Tiffanie Darke, Content Director, Story Studios
83. Tom Glover, Owner, Peregrine Clothing, J G Glover & Co Ltd – Knitwear Manufacturer and UK Clothing Brand
84. Vicki Sarge, Designer, VickiSarge
85. Vikki Fletcher Gilhuys, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents – Counsellor, Health Hero / Bpas (NHS)
86. Wendy Ward, PhD Researcher, Sheffield Hallam University
87. Yasmin Jones-Henry, Founder, The Lab W1