TTIP deal poses ‘real and serious risk’ to NHS – and much more besides

Last Updated: February 22, 2016By

Nurses demonstrate against proposals to offer private companies more work in the NHS. ‘We consider the solution to the problems TTIP poses is for the NHS to be excluded from the agreement, by way of a blanket exception,’ said Michael Bowsher QC [Image: Chris Ison/PA Archive/PA Photos].

It’s interesting that the Graun thinks TTIP is likely to be agreed this year, when other sources have said this is unlikely until around 2019/20. Are we being misled – or at least is this a deliberate attempt to create confusion?

Secondly, the Conservative Government has dismissed the idea that TTIP poses a threat to the possible re-nationalisation of the NHS in England as “irresponsible and false” – but Tory aims are not those of the protesters.

Let’s bear in mind that Conservatives have lied time and again about their changes to our National Health Service. There is no reason to believe they have turned over a new leaf now.

And then there’s the issue about whether the NHS should be the only organisation excluded from TTIP. Why should it be, just because issues around our health service have been the most commonly paraded in public?

In its current form, TTIP is a threat to all publicly-funded services, as long as it is possible for a UK government to privatise them.

TTIP would squeeze workers’ rights into whatever happens to be the lowest common denominator between the US and EU, meaning many of the rights for which our forerunners campaigned long and hard will disappear overnight.

And it would ensure a vertiginous fall in the quality of the goods that are sold to us – for the same reason; they would only need to meet the lowest common quality standard.

Does anybody remember an article from a few days ago, in which This Blog reported that a New Zealand MP had been hit in the face with a rubber penis, thrown by a woman who accused him of raping her country of its sovereignty?

Perhaps the UK’s MPs and MEPs need to start asking themselves whether they really want a big rubber sex aid thrown in their own faces.

The controversial transatlantic trade deal set to be agreed this year would mean that privatisation of elements of the NHS could be made irreversible for future governments wanting to restore services to public hands, according to a new legal analysis.

The legal advice was prepared by one of the UK’s leading QCs on European law for the Unite trade union, which will reveal on Monday that it has been holding talks with the government about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal between Europe and the US.

Unite believes the government has been keeping Britain in the dark over the impact of the deal and argues the NHS should be excluded from the trade deal. The government dismissed the idea that TTIP poses a threat as “irresponsible and false”.

Source: TTIP deal poses ‘real and serious risk’ to NHS, says leading QC | Business | The Guardian

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No Comments

  1. David February 22, 2016 at 12:39 pm - Reply

    TTIP is our worst nightmare. Only the very wealthy, multinationals and rogue capitalism will gain.

  2. mohandeer February 22, 2016 at 12:41 pm - Reply

    What’s “irresponsible and false” is the Tory lie about the heinous TTIP deal.
    The TTIP will enable greater tax evasion. Greater opportunities for Corporations to steal what they want in “secret” deals. Allow vested groups to sue the EU governments if they fall foul of the deal whether they are aware of the arrangements or not(only those people directly responsible for such deals will be privvy to the knowledge, there is a clause which demands this). The US Senate has just allowed the GMO giants to get around the labelling issue for exports to other countries as well as in the US. The TTIP expressly forbids any disclosure of the details of a deal whereby it conflicts with any existing member country’s own laws. Look to articles 31 – 36 for some more info on these matters.
    If you really want more information then go to sites that detail the problems that existing TPA’s (Trade Partnership Agreements) with the US have already encountered, costing businesses and governments millions. It is also estimated that the TTIP will see job losses across the EU in the millions and even worse trade deficits because of the limitations the US imposes(none of which can be disclosed by any government) we find out about them after they’re exposed by the innocent victims. Try shutting me up if I’m victimised by an agreement I didn’t personally sign, (but the media won’t be telling the world, only social networks).
    The list is endless. Naomi Kline has written about it and you will likely find more info on sites like Global Research
    Corporate Observatory, whose raison d’être is exposing the power of corporate lobbying in the EU has recently published its latest report “Dangerous Regulatory Duet”
    Graham Vanbergen – truepublica.org.uk
    We’ve uncovered cases from 24 countries, from India to Romania, where governments are being sued in tax related cases. Just look at:
    Ecuador – sued by an Anglo-French oil company after introducing new taxes on windfall profits in the oil sector
    Mexico – successfully sued by several US agribusiness giants – including Cargill – for introducing a ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks
    Romania – successfully sued by a food corporation when the government removed its tax breaks in order to comply with EU rules

  3. jeffrey davies February 22, 2016 at 4:13 pm - Reply

    no ttip no rape of the peasants why sign it its not for us but the greedie people jeff3

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