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Hazel axes her t-shirts over fears of Third World exploitation
Last updated at 08:07am on 30.04.07Hazel Blears has suspended sales of T-shirts promoting her campaign for the Labour Party deputy leadership over fears they may be linked to a factory disaster in Bangladesh.
The supply chain for the garments may lead to a factory where dozens were killed when a building collapsed in 2005.
The Salford MP said she was horrified at suspicions that a product sold on her website might be connected to exploited workers - and was urgently investigating claims of a link.
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Last night Miss Blears, Labour's chairman, pledged to donate to a fund for the families of victims of the Bangladesh disaster, which claimed 64 lives.
And she demanded 'swift answers' from her supplier, Spreadshirt.
In a statement, she explained that one item sold by the firm was supplied from Bangladesh by B&C/The Cotton Group.
The Cotton Group is the second largest promotional T-shirt supplier in Europe and claims to have an ethical policy, she added.
'However, it has come to our attention that The Cotton Group was one of the customers of Spectrum, a manufacturer who operated an unsafe factory in Bangladesh which collapsed in 2005, killing 64 workers.
'More specifically The Cotton Group has been cited as one of the companies who did not contribute to a welfare fund for exploitation workers and their families following the collapse.
'As you can imagine we are horrified that any product sold on this site might have any connection to exploitation of workers anywhere in the world.'
The allegations are likely to go down badly with the Labour Party activists who will determine the outcome of the deputy leadership contest.
This will commence when John Prescott resigns at the same time
phone masts as Tony Blair. Many are particularly sensitive about products sourced from Third World 'sweat shops'.
Miss Blears has made eyecatching merchandise, available through her website, a key feature of her campaign.
Items on offer include baseball caps, mugs, clocks, hoodies, and T-shirts featuring the slogan 'Nuts about Hazel'.
She has even produced a computer mouse mat featuring her on a motorbike with the motif 'Deputy Leader of the Pack' and 'Hazel Beers' beer mats.
Miss Blears said: 'I am investigating this claim with some urgency.
'I am angry and upset at any suggestion that a company my campaign is using might be unethical in any way.
'My online campaign shop is supplied by Spreadshirt which appears to be a reputable company.' Her campaign team threatened to urge Spreadshirt's other customers, which include The Guardian newspaper and Channel Five, to start a boycott until assurances were provided that the company had reviewed its supply chain.
She added: 'I shall be making a personal donation to the families affected by the Spectrum disaster two years ago.' Miss Blears has also set up pages on social networking websites MySpace and Facebook.
She is one of six MPs vying to succeed Mr Prescott as Labour's deputy leader.
