Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn delivers a speech on membership of the EU in central London [Image: Will Oliver/EPA].

Corbyn may be lukewarm on the idea of remaining – but he is absolutely sure that a Tory Brexit would result in a deregulatory free-for-all that would be “a disaster for the majority of people in Britain”.

Here’s the best example of what he means:

Cameron wants to force through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement as soon as possible, forcing down the quality of goods produced across America and Europe, and forcing down the wages and quality of life of the people who make them.

The plan is already in considerable trouble, with many EU member states expressing concerns – and Jeremy Corbyn said today that the UK would refuse the deal altogether if Labour was in government.

Here’s the relevant extract from his speech, as quoted in The Guardian:

Many thousands of people have written to me with their concerns about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (or T-TIP) the deal being negotiated, largely in secret, between the US and the EU.

Many people are concerned, rightly, that it could open up public services to further privatisation – and make privatisation effectively irreversible. Others are concerned about any potential watering down of consumer rights, food safety standards, rights at work or environmental protections and the facility for corporations to sue national governments if regulations impinged on their profits.

I share those concerns.

A few weeks ago the French President, Francois Hollande, said he would veto the deal as it stands and to become law any deal would have to be ratified by each member state. So today we give this pledge: As it stands, we too would reject TTIP – and veto it in government.

And there is a challenge to the prime minister: If it’s not good enough for France; it’s not good enough for Britain either.

David Cameron – make clear now that if Britain votes to remain this month you will block any TTIP trade treaty that threatens our public services, our consumer and employment rights and that hands over power to giant corporations to override democratically elected governments.

Source: EU referendum live: Corbyn says Labour would veto TTIP trade deal | Politics | The Guardian

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