Hi John,
The trade minister, Liz Truss, made two announcements recently that vividly show how little control parliament and the people have over trade. She said that:
- Negotiations with the US are in “advanced stages” and that negotiators were “in the process of consolidating texts in the majority of chapter areas”. Yet MPs haven’t seen any of what is in these texts and still can’t see them, even though many are concerned about what might be in them.
- A new trade deal has been agreed with Japan, which now has to go to the Japanese parliament, the Diet, which needs to vote on it in a ratification process that will take up to the end of the year. The UK parliament by contrast is not guaranteed a vote and the deal can be ratified in 21 working days.
This overrides basic democracy. Trade deals can affect so much of our lives - on food, healthcare, climate, digital issues and more - but the people, and our representatives in parliament, have no say.
The Trade Bill going through parliament could change this. It is currently in the Lords and Labour and the Lib Dems have put down amendments that could give parliament a vote and the right to meaningful information on what is on the table in negotiations.
Please can you email the leaders of the political parties in the Lords and tell them how important it is for these amendments to be passed?
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Without democracy, trade deals have become a blank cheque to slash standards, entrench privatisation and privilege a corporate agenda. The need for democracy in trade deals is fundamental in building a more just and sustainable economy and society.
Last year we succeeded in getting the House of Lords to amend the previous Trade Bill in this way, but the government didn’t dare risk another vote by MPs before the election. Now the government just wants this issue to just go away, but we’re not going to let it.
We know members of the Lords understand what can be at stake in trade deals, because they just passed an amendment to the Agriculture Bill to say food imports must comply with UK standards. Now we need to tell them how important it is that they amend the Trade Bill to give parliament oversight of these issues.
If they can introduce democratic control to the bill, then we will fight to defend that afterwards, when the bill returns to MPs in the House of Commons.
Together we are going to keep speaking out for a democratic approach to trade that can work for people and planet. Can you ask the Lords to call for trade democracy now?
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Thank you for your support
Jean Blaylock
Trade campaigner at Global Justice Now
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The US-UK trade deal could give corporations everything they want. Help us stop it.
We are campaigning to stop the toxic US trade deal which is likely to lower food standards, weaken chemical regulation, increase medicine prices and block climate action.
Regular gifts give us the long-term stability to plan effective campaigns for a more just world. And they will help further the campaign to stop this toxic trade deal.
If you’re not already a member, will you join today?
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