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This judgment confirms the need for more accountability and democratic control over trade deals. As Global Justice Now has been highlighting, modern trade deals go way beyond what most people think of as trade. They’re not just about selling more ‘stuff’, they are increasingly about our public services, our ability to regulate big business and the way we actually make laws, affecting everything from health to education to jobs.

A new briefing has outlined the likely elements of a UK-US trade deal and argues that it would contain more extreme forms of all the controversial elements of the deal that was being negotiated between the EU and the USA.

These elements include:

The use of Henry VIII powers on this scale should send a chill down the spine of anyone  who genuinely believes in parliamentary sovereignty.
 

• Government is planning unprecedented bill to transport thousands of European laws into British law.
• New briefing from legal academic warns that the bill could affect UK democracy for decades to come and could hand massive power from parliament and the people to the government.
• Proposed new ‘Henry VIII’ powers have been described by former Lord Chief Justice as a “self-inflicted blow” that should only be used in a national emergency.

The meeting of Commonwealth trade ministers hosted by international trade secretary Liam Fox taking place in London on 9/10 March has been criticised by trade campaigners who warn that the meeting is likely to deepen corporate interests in African countries at the expense of ordinary people across the continent.