Responding to votes on scrutiny of trade agreements in the Trade Bill, senior trade campaigner at War on Want Jean Blaylock, says: “Democratic oversight of trade is not rocket science. MEPs in the European Parliament and members of Congress get an automatic vote on trade deals. Why shouldn’t MPs?

• 250,000 people marched in central London yesterday, making this Britain’s biggest demonstration for over a  decade
• Actions took place in more than 50 cities across the UK, with major protests in Edinburgh
• At Chequers talks, President Trump described the US-UK relationship as ‘the highest level of special’ but said trade deal only possible if there were ‘no restrictions’ on US firms

Responding to the news that the Irish Senate has voted for a motion to ban goods originating in occupied territories, Ryvka Barnard, senior campaigner on militarism and security at War on Want, says: 

Responding to today’s parliamentary debate and vote on the CETA trade deal, from which the Labour Party abstained, Jean Blaylock, senior trade campaigner at War on Want, says:

“Quite simply, CETA puts corporate power above democratic rule. It includes the notorious ‘corporate courts’ which give big business the power to sue countries for any policy they claim could affect their profits, even if it is vital to the public interest.