{"id":8790,"date":"2016-05-20T14:21:37","date_gmt":"2016-05-20T13:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=8790"},"modified":"2016-05-23T16:34:33","modified_gmt":"2016-05-23T15:34:33","slug":"ttip-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=8790","title":{"rendered":"TTIP victory"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In a major victory for Unite and other campaigners, prime minister David Cameron caved in to public demands to exempt the NHS from provisions in the massive, controversial EU-US trade deal known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).<\/p>\n

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Following the Queens Speech, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged MPs to support an amendment that would \u00e2\u20ac\u015bexpress regret\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 that there was no bill in the Speech that excluded the NHS from TTIP.<\/p>\n

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Rebellion<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

More than two dozen rebel Tory MPs signed the amendment, in addition to support from Labour, the SNP and Green MPs, forcing Cameron to concede.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf this amendment is selected, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll accept it,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed last night (May 19).<\/p>\n

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The last time that the Government lost a vote on the Queens Speech was nearly 100 years ago in 1924, when Labour tabled a motion of no confidence in the then-Conservative government. After the motion was passed, prime minister Stanley Baldwin was forced to resign.<\/p>\n

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcomed the support of Tory MPs, but added that he personally \u00e2\u20ac\u015bwould go much further\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 beyond merely exempting the NHS from TTIP.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bMy concerns about TTIP are not just about the effect on public services but also the principle of investor protection that goes within TTIP \u00e2\u20ac\u201c planned rules which would in effect almost enfranchise global corporations at the expense of national governments,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis protection of the NHS is an important step but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not the whole step.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Legal advice<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Unite played a leading role in last night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s victory \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it published legal advice<\/a> from a leading QC on European law who argued that, despite Cameron\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s assurances, the trade deal would without doubt risk opening up the NHS to rampant privatisation from US investors.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe legal advice is clear,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 noted Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTTIP is a real and serious risk to the NHS. Unless the UK gets robust protection, the US private health industry can override the will of Parliament on matters relating to our health.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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The threats to the NHS posed by TTIP were also made apparent when the government refused to release information it already holds relating to TTIP\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s potential effect on the NHS.<\/p>\n

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The minister responsible for TTIP, Francis Maude, admitted earlier this year that he already held legal advice about the trade deal and its impact on the health service, but when campaigners asked for this advice to be made public through freedom of information requests, Maude denied the requests, citing \u00e2\u20ac\u0098legal professional privilege.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

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Setback<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

TTIP has faced mounting opposition both at home and abroad. Most recently, negotiations faced a major setback earlier this month when French president Francois Hollande said that he would \u00e2\u20ac\u015bnever accept\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 the terms of the trade deal in its current form because it was too friendly to US businesses.<\/p>\n

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Hollande\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s opposition to the trade deal came as Greenpeace published leaked TTIP negotiations documents<\/a>, which indicated that the EU and US had run into substantial disagreements over the terms of the deal.<\/p>\n

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The leaked documents also showed that the US was intent on lowering standards, for example, on restrictions on potentially harmful products.<\/p>\n

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Proponents of TTIP are aiming to wrap up negotiations by the end of this year before the US presidential elections. But for TTIP to become a reality, all 28 member states of the EU would have to agree to the deal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s terms. Following the French president\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s comments on the back of sustained public criticism from across Europe, coming to a deal at the year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s end now seems unlikely.<\/p>\n

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People power<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said last night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s government climbdown showed that people power works.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDavid Cameron has finally conceded to the demands of tens of thousands of people across the country who did not believe it was right for the NHS to be part of a multibillion dollar trade deal which threatened the very future of the NHS,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPoliticians from across the political divide found common cause to demand that David Cameron acted because communities from Devon to Dundee demanded action.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt was people power fuelled by Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s legal advice that moved David Cameron,” McCluskey added. “We warmly welcome this critical step in the campaign to protect the NHS from the corporate multi-nationals. It is now for David Cameron to ensure his concession yesterday is meaningful.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Unite is opposed to TTIP in its entirety and will continue to fight the trade deal, which will create a race to the bottom on worker, consumer and environmental protections and will also give global corporations precedence over democratically elected governments in secret courts.<\/p>\n

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Learn more about TTIP in the 38 Degrees video below and find out how you can get involved in the campaign against the trade deal here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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