The British Furniture Confederation (BFC) has announced the official relaunch of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Furniture and Furnishings Industry (APPFIG), with a completely new cast of officers and members representing all major political parties.
© British Furniture Confederation
Labour MP for Erewash, Adam Thompson.
Following the 2024 General Election, all APPGs were dissolved as per parliamentary rules and must be reconstituted with a minimum of four officers and 16 additional members. Members are now limited to participation in only six groups, with government post-holders excluded entirely. The newly reformed APPFIG meets all these criteria and will once again serve as the furniture and furnishings sector's key voice in Westminster.
Labour MP for Erewash, Adam Thompson, has been appointed Chair of the group. His constituency includes Long Eaton, the UK's centre for upholstery manufacturing. He is joined by officers Labour peer Baroness Winifred Ann Taylor of Bolton, Conservative MP Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire), and Labour MP Sarah Smith (Hyndburn). All four officers have strong ties to the sector either through their constituencies or professional background.
'As the Member of Parliament for Erewash, I'm really pleased to be taking on the chairship of this all-party parliamentary group,' said Adam Thompson. 'The £41 billion furniture and beds, furnishings and floorcoverings sector is a significant contributor to the UK economy and employs over a quarter of a million people in more than 33,000 enterprises, many of which are in my constituency. In Erewash, we are home to Long Eaton, the UK centre of upholstery manufacturing, and it is a hugely important part of our local economy.'
Welcoming the new group's formation, Jonathan Hindle, Chair of the BFC, said:
'I'm delighted to welcome Adam as chairman of our new All Party Group. Adam's constituency is a furniture industry hub so he already knows and understands many of our issues – as set out in our recently launched Plan for Growth. I'm sure Adam and the rest of the APPFIG officers and members will help us ensure the furniture industry's voice is heard both on these industry-specific challenges and wider ones currently facing the country as a whole. We are looking forward to getting down to business!'
The full list of APPFIG members includes: James Wild MP, Lee Anderson MP, Alex McIntyre MP, Lauren Sullivan MP, Alistair Strathern MP, Andy MacNae MP, Anneliese Midgley MP, Dr Jeevun Sandher MP, Sean Woodcock MP, Amanda Hack MP, Antonia Bance MP, Sadik Al-Hassan MP, James Naish MP, Maya Ellis MP, Joe Morris MP and Laurence Turner MP.
The BFC, comprising key industry associations such as the British Furniture Association, the National Bed Federation and the UK Sustainable Flooring Alliance, works closely with APPFIG to ensure the sector's interests are represented in policymaking. With the group now fully reconstituted and cross-party in nature, the industry is poised to continue advocating for sustainable growth, skilled employment, and innovation across UK manufacturing.
More information:
British Furniture Confederation
www.britishfurnitureconfederation.org.uk