Dear Alan, Good news: yesterday, MPs voted to say they want power over what’s in TTIP. [1] Tens of thousands of us got in touch with our MPs this week asking them to do just that - and we won! It was a symbolic vote, and only a handful of MPs turned up. But now that MPs have said they think they should have a say on what’s in TTIP, ordinary people could have more power over the final deal. Why? Because if a real vote happens, we can put pressure on our MPs to do the right thing. It’s an election year, so they’re worrying about what their voters think. So - a step in the right direction! And that isn’t the only good news on TTIP this week. On Tuesday, the EU Commission was forced to admit that 97% of people who responded to a TTIP consultation were against the bit of the deal that could let private companies sue our government. [2] 38 Degrees members flooded that consultation in our tens of thousands - a third (!) of all responses across Europe came from Britain. [3] The EU has decided to ‘suspend’ negotiations on this controversial part of the deal. [4] Maybe they’re hoping this will make the fuss die down. They might try and put it back on the table when they think we’re not looking. But we know that we won’t stop until the interests of ordinary people are put above the interests of big business. We’re turning the tide. Let’s keep going. Thanks for being involved, Megan, Susannah, Bex, Blanche and the 38 Degrees team PS: TTIP - and 38 Degrees members! - made it on to the radio this week. If you’d like to listen, it starts at 35:00. Click here: bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xg3kj NOTES [1] House of Commons Hansard: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm150115/debtext/150115-0003.htm#15011570000001 The Guardian: MPs debate TTIP: Politics Live blog: theguardian/politics/blog/live/2015/jan/15/nick-clegg-hosts-his-call-clegg-phone-in-politics-live-blog [2] European Commission: Consultation on investment protection in EU-US trade talks: trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1234 [3] The Independent: TTIP: Activists triumph as contentious US free trade deal clause suspended: independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ttip-activists-triumph-as-contentious-us-free-trade-deal-clause-suspended-9976090.html [4] The Independent: TTIP: Activists triumph as contentious US free trade deal clause suspended: independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ttip-activists-triumph-as-contentious-us-free-trade-deal-clause-suspended-9976090.html
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 11:06:04 +0000
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