‘The UK’s independent trade policy could be an opportunity to pursue a progressive trade agenda for Southern countries’ says the February 2018 report (pdf) from CLASS on Brexit and trade deals.
This expert guide goes back to basics on trade, explaining the dangers of modern trade deals and what we should be looking for in a progressive trade agenda.
The guide finds:
- The lack of parliamentary scrutiny provided for in the trade and customs bills is startling. Modern trade agreements can affect every aspect of our lives, and our MPs need to be able to scrutinise government proposals – parliament should have the right to vote to approve a negotiating mandate, and to vote to approve a finished trade deal
- Trade rules on services open the doors to deregulation and privatisation
- Too often trade deals are used to push deregulation and a race to the bottom on key standards in areas such as food safety, financial services and environmental protection
- Trade agreements can have significant impacts on labour rights and human
rights.
