If teaming up with Eurosceptic Tories will save the NHS from TTIP then Jeremy Corbyn is right to do it

Last Updated: May 19, 2016By

This Independent article describes a possible alliance between Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour and Tory Eurosceptics, to protect the NHS from the terms of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement, as “unholy”.

It is an unfair assessment.

As it currently stands, TTIP would subject an increasingly-privatised NHS to market strictures, including a demand that no national government may implement laws that infringe on private corporations’ profitability.

Any government doing so may be subjected to embarrassing and expensive legal action by any corporation claiming it had been disadvantaged, under the ‘Investor-State Dispute Settlement’ (ISDS)process.

The very concept of ISDS is wrong-headed. Nations should legislate in the interests of their people – not to protect the commercial interests of corporations.

But David Cameron won’t have it – despite a mountain of evidence that he is wrong.

So we have reached a point where opponents of the scam – I mean scheme – on both sides of the House of Commons have decided to team up against him.

For Jeremy Corbyn, it might be a deal with the Devil but, as historian Rainer Schulze recently asked This Writer (rhetorically) in a discussion on the Haavara agreement between Nazi Germany and German Zionists, wouldn’t you do a deal with the Devil if it saved lives?

As for Eurosceptic Tories, this could be the best thing they ever do.

Jeremy Corbyn is to forge an unholy alliance with Tory Eurosceptic MPs to back a plan that would ‘protect’ the NHS from the controversial TTIP trade deal with the US, The Independent understands.

Labour MPs will be told to support an amendment to the Queen’s Speech, which will be voted on next week, that states they “regret” the Government has not included a bill that would “protect the National Health Service from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership”.

More than two dozen Tory Eurosceptic MPs have also pledged to back the amendment that would inflict an embarrassing defeat on David Cameron just weeks before the EU referendum. Those behind the amendment, including the former Tory Cabinet minister Peter Lilley, say they also expect to get the backing from the Scottish Nationalists and the DUP.

With a working majority of less than 20 this would be more than enough to defeat the Government on the amendment.

If so it would be the first time a Government has been defeated on a Queen’s Speech vote in nearly 100 years.

Source: TTIP: Jeremy Corbyn and rebel Tory MPs to form alliance to protect NHS from transatlantic trade deal | UK Politics | News | The Independent

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12 Comments

  1. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) May 19, 2016 at 1:04 pm - Reply

    I find this an excellent idea and It indicates Jeremy Corbyn’s quality of integrity in these matters. I only hope that it does not weaken the resolve to stay “IN” the EU though; albeit it on the understanding that the TTIP does not affect the NHS and better still that it is scrapped altogether.

  2. Phil Woodford May 19, 2016 at 1:22 pm - Reply

    The loony left and the ropey right join forces. Sad to see what the Labour Party has now become.

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 11:35 am - Reply

      Thank you for your opinion. Do you have anything material to say about this? Why do you call them the “loony” left when they are standing up for our interests? Why do you call them the “ropey” right when they are doing the same?

      • Phil Woodford May 20, 2016 at 11:50 am - Reply

        When Obama came over to endorse the ‘remain’ cause, one of his major points was that we would lose out on the benefits of a trade deal and Brexit would put us at the back of the queue. That trade deal is TTIP. So by opposing TTIP in collaboration of a bunch of right-wing ideologues, Corbyn dismisses one of the central planks of the ‘remain’ campaign he notionally supports. As always with him, you couldn’t make it up.

        • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 1:54 pm - Reply

          For the UK, TTIP has no benefits, so we wouldn’t be losing out on anything.
          We would, however, lose out on the ability to help dictate a better deal.

  3. mrmarcpc May 19, 2016 at 2:17 pm - Reply

    Corbyn wants to hope that this is genuine and that it doesn’t come back to bite him in the arse if it’s not!

  4. Steve Kind May 19, 2016 at 2:54 pm - Reply

    Absolutely agree mike – and Cameron will cave like je always does. Good move JC :)

  5. Phil Lee May 19, 2016 at 5:02 pm - Reply

    Until Corbyn has the opportunity to defeat the current regime completely, it is perfectly reasonable to cut any deal he has to in order to prevent it’s worst excesses.
    That should never risk supporting an exit from Europe though, as the EU is itself a restraint on Tory excess.

  6. Colin Wilkes May 19, 2016 at 6:02 pm - Reply

    There is to be a none VETO policy by the EU bureaucrats on the question of TTIP and other articles of legislation. With this in mind will it not be the case that once TTIP is signed ALL member countries will be part and parcel of the agreement and then we will have no redress at all in any court in the world ?

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 11:31 am - Reply

      No. The UK government could refuse to ratify it.

  7. Jeremy Marshall May 20, 2016 at 10:06 am - Reply

    Why is it so difficult for journalists (and others) to understand? You need to vote the right way on an issue, regardless of who else happens to be voting for it too. If the Monster Raving Loony Party is against TTIP, then I’m voting the same way as them. I’m not “with” them or “supporting” them, or making a “team” or an “alliance”: I’m just taking the same position as they do.

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 10:51 am - Reply

      Hear, hear!

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