Three Leicester MPs have called on the chief executive of Boohoo to resign after an independent review accused the fashion chain of failing to do enough to ensure suppliers in the city were not exploiting workers.
Following the publication of Alison Levitt QC鈥檚 independent review into the Boohoo鈥檚 Leicester supply chain, Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth, and Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe, said the Government also had to take responsibility for failing to implement the recommendations of previous inquiries into worker exploitation.
In her findings, senior lawyer Alison Levitt QC said the fast fashion chain knew about 鈥渟erious issues鈥 with the treatment of factory workers in Leicester last December, but failed to move quickly enough to do anything about it.
She also said Boohoo 鈥渃apitalised鈥 on the commercial opportunities offered by lockdown 鈥 as online sales rocketed 鈥 supporting Leicester factories by not cancelling orders, but taking no responsibility for the impact on the people on the shop floor.
And she blamed 鈥渨eak corporate governance鈥 for Boohoo鈥檚 inadequate monitoring of its Leicester supply chain.
Boohoo appointed Ms Levitt to investigate its supply chain after serious allegations were made about conditions in Leicester factories making products for it during the lockdown.
In a joint statement the three Labour MPs said: 鈥淭his damning report shows Boohoo has known about unacceptable working conditions in its Leicester factories for years, but has failed to take the necessary action anywhere quickly enough.
鈥淢s Levitt says the company鈥檚 processes are well below expected standards, corporate governance is weak and substantial areas of risk have been invisible at a senior level.
鈥淲hilst Boohoo was quick to capitalise on the commercial opportunities offered by lockdown it took no responsibility for the consequences for the people who made their clothes.
鈥淭he report rightly says this is inexcusable.
鈥淢s Levitt concludes 鈥渋n truth Boohoo has not felt any real responsibility for the factory workers in Leicester鈥.
鈥淟eicester鈥檚 MPs and the city council have repeatedly raised these issues but our concerns have been brushed aside, downplayed or ignored.
鈥淭he chief executive of Boohoo is ultimately responsible for these failings and should now resign.
鈥淢inisters must also take responsibility for their failure to implement the recommendations of numerous inquiries into worker exploitation and for slashing the budgets of the very enforcement bodies that are supposed to keep workers safe.
鈥淭his report must be a turning point for action and we, as the local MPs for Leicester, will be holding the government and Boohoo to account for their response.鈥
Boohoo Group has set out a series of measures it is taking to ensure the issue is addressed.
