Unite has accused the prime minister of embarking on a dangerous game of ‘smoke and mirrors’ when he set out his plans for the UK’s future trade policy in a long and rambling speech in London today…Read more…
Trade really does matter – even at work
Unite executive officer Sharon Graham believes Unite’s strategy could be the starting point to develop stronger unions at work and safeguard jobs. She writes: The ‘cost of living…Read more…
Future economies: what next for globalisation and trade?
Last week I was invited to the British-German Forum – a symposium for young people from both countries – at Wilton Park, an agency of the FCO, to talk with my colleague Jan Stern from the German trade union confederation the DGB, about the issues facing globalisation. Here’s an…Read more…
“UK manufacturing deserves no less.” Why employers & unions are calling for strong trade remedies
As the UK leaves the European Union, it will need to develop its own independent trade policy that fits with a wider industrial strategy. This includes developing a system of trade remedies, the instruments that are used to combat market distortions (s…Read more…
Global trade deals can’t substitute for a good Brexit deal
This week the think tank OpenEurope published a report with recommendations for Britain’s future trade after it leaves the EU. It suggests that Britain may be able to make up much of its shortfall in trade resulting from leaving the EU by strengthening its trade, particularly in services, with…Read more…
Is #Brexit Britain at the front of the queue for a US trade deal, or the end of the line?
When Prime Minister Theresa May visited newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump in January, Brexit supporters were cock-a-hoop about how post-Brexit Britain would be at the front of the queue for a trade deal with the US Trade Representative (USTR – not that there was one when Mrs…Read more…
#Brexit bad news hidden in #Budget2017
Last week’s Budget speech by the Chancellor had very little to say about Brexit. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a Brexit angle – you just have to look at what wasn’t there, rather than what was. First, there was very little in the Budget to prepare for the…Read more…
Putting all our eggs in Empire 2.0 – risking rights & living standards
Ahead of Commonwealth Day tomorrow, Commonwealth trade ministers were in London last week, hosted by the UK international trade minister and leading Leave supporter Liam Fox. The media claimed that several Commonwealth countries were ‘first in the queue’ to do a trade deal with the UK…Read more…
No deal could be the worst deal possible, warn MPs
The Prime Minister has argued that, when it comes to Britain’s relationship with the EU after Brexit, no deal would be better than a bad deal (I’m worried that some Conservative MPs actually think no deal would be better than a good deal, too!) It is frequently argued that holding out…Read more…
What does Brexit mean now? (According to the White Paper)
Last Thursday, the Government published its hastily promised and delivered white paper on exiting the European Union. The United Kingdom’s exit from and new partnership with the European Union was longer than many expected, but did not really add much to what the Prime Minister said in her…Read more…
Mrs May goes to Washington. Here’s what unions want to hear
Later today, Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with US President Donald Trump in the White House. Ahead of their meeting, the leaders of the UK and US trade union movements, Frances O’Grady from the TUC and Richard Trumka of the AFLCIO, have issued a joint statement setting out what…Read more…
Jobs & living standards no longer top priority for government
Although her speech on industrial strategy on Monday could redress the balance a bit, the Prime Minister’s speech on Brexit last week confirmed that her government is putting jobs and living standards lower down their agenda than exiting the European Union and reducing migration. Is the era…Read more…
First European Parliament NO vote to CETA from the employment committee
Yesterday the Employment and Social Affairs committee of the European Parliament voted to reject the notorious EU-Canada (CETA) trade deal because of the negative impact it would have on workers. While this vote was not binding – the vote on whether to accept the deal will ultimately be made in the…Read more…
Canadian & European civil society oppose EU-Canada trade agreement
Over 450 public interest groups from across Europe and Canada – including the TUC – today published an open letter urging legislators to vote against the EU-Canada ‘trade’ deal known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). They joined forces to defend…Read more…
Globalisers’ response to popular concern on trade agreements? Shut down debate
When the Walloons finally agreed to accept the passage of the Canada-EU so-called trade agreement, or CETA, one of the concessions they secured was that the legality of the investor protection element of the deal (known as ICS) would be tested in the E…Read more…
CETA: why TTIP’s death is being exaggerated
The UK media this weekend has reported the death of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the EU-US so-called trade deal which – as Buzzfeed reported this week – would legalise corporate malfeasance and profiteering by including a discredited Investor State Dispute…Read more…
Aid & trade: toxic mix or magic bullet?
New aid-sceptic International Development Secretary Priti Patel MP has annoyed many in the aid NGOs with an article in the Daily Express which could be taken to mean that Britain’s large overseas aid budget should be used to encourage developing countries to sign trade agreements with…Read more…
What ‘Lord Waitrose’ could do at the European trade ministers’ meeting on Friday
In the midst of the harshest crisis experienced by the UK steel industry in over a decade, last week brought some comforting news about securing the future of the sector. Potentially this week could see further good news if the UK government chooses to…Read more…
Clinton & Sanders show the way on ‘trade’ agreements
While the current Democratic President of the USA, Barack Obama, tours Europe to raise support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the two candidates scrapping to be his successor back home are setting out markedly different …Read more…
How much does the Canadian government want a trade deal with the EU?
Before the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA comes the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. It has been ‘agreed’ several times, but it’s not over yet. And it’s still seriously deficient…Read more…