A toxic free trade deal with Canada was
approved by 408 votes to 254 in the European Parliament yesterday
despite widespread protests across the continent and a petition
against its ratification being signed by over 3.2 million
citizens.
It now goes to the national legislatures of the EU
member states, including the UK, for their approval before it
becomes binding on them all, regardless of Brexit.
This means that the UK will lose control of its
ability to decide which public services are outsourced and which
are not; foreign multinational companies will be able to
influence UK laws covering food safety and environment and, worst
of all, corporations will be given the ability to sue the British
government if it does anything to affect their projected
profits.
Bert Schouwenburg, GMB International officer,
said:
“We have been repeatedly been told by the Government
that Brexit means taking back control.
“Yet in voting for CETA,
Conservative MEPs gave their seal of approval to a toxic trade
and investment deal that will give unprecedented power and
influence not just to Canadian multinational companies but also
to US corporations, 85% of whom have subsidiaries in
Canada.
“This is effectively a trade deal with the USA via
the back door and, if allowed to proceed, will do irreparable
harm to the British economy and seriously undermine the concept
of a sovereign British state.”
Kathleen Walkershaw, GMB European Officer,
added:
“In or out of EU, this damaging trade deal will be
the blue print for future deals.
“GMB commends the MEPs who saw this deal for what it
was and rightly opposed it. Sadly they were in the
minority.
“It is now down to member states to ratify - stopping
it in national parliaments is the last
chance.
“Will our parliament find its bottle?
"Or are our jobs standards and public services doomed
by people with their heads stuck
in the Westminster bubble rather than the real world who
are always on the wrong side of an
argument?
“Trade policy needs to go urgently back to the
drawing board and start putting people before
profit.
"If taking control is to mean anything this will be
its serious test.”
