TTIP on the rocks as UK faces up to threat of industrial litigation
“If Britain joined up to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement [system] in the current secret Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, the UK would be exposed to an even greater number of disputes and costs than Canada suffered under the NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement], while being “highly unlikely” to bring in any additional investment.” – Michael Meacher MP.
Mr Meacher’s article on TTIP provides many examples of such litigation, that have taken place under already-agreed free trade deals. Why, he asks, would the UK want to sign an agreement that will immediately place it under threat of legal action, while gaining nothing in return?
You’d have to be crazy to put the economy in the hands of the lunatic who suggested it, wouldn’t you?
The lunatic, in this case, would be David Cameron, leader of the political party most people in Britain seem to think is best at running the economy! Do you want to rethink that, Britain?
“The Cameron government as usual is the stooge that follows the US lead,” writes Mr Meacher, after pointing out that TTIP is an agreement designed to benefit US and EU transnationals seeking to expand their market access and to engineer the removal of regulations that restrict their profits. It is also “widely seen as an attempt to sideline emerging economies such as China, Brazil and India that are now challenging the hegemony of the core capitalist powers”.
But public resistance is growing (where people know what is going on, that is), and Mr Meacher writes: “The increasingly strident call from civil society is to stop TTIP altogether and replace it with an alternative trade mandate that puts people and the planet before corporate profit.”
Hear, hear.
Will there be a motion in Parliament any time soon?
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I truly don’t think people realise the severity of this. I have posted many posts with regard to this very subject and hardly anyone has acknowledged it. As you quite rightly point out, this IS an attack on democracy and WILL be the end of democracy. I think democracy is already questionable in this country, this will be the full stop.
I think I’ll re-post a few of my other TTIP articles on the Facebook page, just to back this up.
Brilliant, I will look out for them and share if I can. I put everything on ‘Public’. If you wish you can tag me in: Please look for Fronch Resist-once on Facebook.
hello, i am french, in france this is NO to ttip, i cant believe some people in england think NO too, Good to hear. Big company need democratie and free market to exist and develop, as soon they are multi national, No more democratie, they want there own rules
This is exactly what we need – international solidarity!
Here in the UK I am sure many more people would oppose TTIP – if they knew about it. Most of the population is not even aware that it is being discussed.
Are there any more readers in Europe who oppose this proposal? Perhaps we could form an international organisation against it.
Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog.
“Will there be a motion in Parliament any time soon?” I wish I could say yes because everything we are seeing now under Austerity is all the grand plan for TTIP and is why we are not hearing the right soundbites from Labour.
Of course we have no say on the outcome of TTIP whatsoever, because it is being “negotiated” by our unelected governors the eussr commission, and will be subject to qualified majority voting should there be enough worries presented by enough national elected governments, the elected eussr parliament will as ever wave it through. Westminster as with every other trade agreement that Britain is involved with will have to kow tow to the commission.
Is that Barry Davies? If so, your use of the fascist expression ‘EUSSR’ has given your identity away.
You seem to have little respect for our current version of democracy, and you’re probably right, but when there’s no other choice, we have to do what we can.
We DO have a say on the outcome of these negotiations. If our wishes are ignored by our elected representatives, then it is our duty to vote them out at the next opportunity.
That’s how democracy works. It’s that simple.
I read the headline of this post and was filled with astonished relief. “TTIP on the rocks”. Unfortunately, I was cast down into utter despondency again.
I’m Canadian, now living in England. Michael Meacher is right – NAFTA was/is nasty and TTIP will be too.
Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.