Anne Main has joined the campaign against the unlawful and dark underworld of conflict minerals. Conflict minerals are minerals mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses, which are sold on or traded by armed groups. They are often used to build mobile phones, computers and car batteries.

‘Conflict minerals are something that we all may be using every day, yet very few of us appreciate the scale of the crimes and abuses that have occurred to produce them. The minerals used to develop your phone or TV may have come from unimaginable conditions of human rights abuses and child exploitation in central Africa.

‘I think it is right that the UK government should look to lead the world in developing extremely high standards that ensure our products are not made with minerals that have been mined by exploitation and criminal gangs’, said Mrs Main.

‘The first meeting I had on this issue started with a constituent asking me ‘How many people were killed to make your phone?’ said Anne. ‘This is a hard hitting issue and we must do everything we can to raise public awareness, as ultimately consumer choice and industry will drive change alongside government.’

Anne, along with her constituent Peter Ellis and his colleague Ian Machant, who’s company offer a full ‘conflict free certification’ programme, met with a senior figure in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to discuss what more can be done at government level.

Mrs Main said, ‘We had a thought provoking meeting with the FCO and it is really encouraging that the government are willing to listen and enforce stricter legislation on this issue. I know the FCO are keen for this to be looked at further by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and I look forward to some positive changes ahead.

‘Hopefully this will go far to improve the lives and provide protections to those vulnerable people forced to mine these minerals in abhorrent conditions.’