To ask if you've all heard about TTIP?

[GooseberryRoolz]

www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

[GooseberryRoolz]

I was oblivious until this week, but maybe that's just me (?)

[Tangfastics]

I was oblivious until I heard George Galloway ranting about it on Radio 2 today.

I need to educate myself.........!

[GooseberryRoolz]

Oh I have got to hear his take on it. Presumably he's not a remainer?

[Tangfastics]

Most definitely not!!

I'll see if I can find a link to it.

[GooseberryRoolz]

Thanks

[Tangfastics]

Bum - don't think it's available until tomorrow.

I'll come back and check! It was on the Jeremy Vine show.

[GooseberryRoolz]

Something tells me that'll be worth waiting for

It's all very disturbing though; I thought I knew how I was voting, now I'm on the fence

[PaperdollCartoon]

I've known about it for a while, and read the article when it was first out. It's a terrifying prospect that benefits only big business, I fear for us if it goes through.

[Tangfastics]

I'm astonished there's only the 2 of us on this thread!!

[OTheHugeManatee]

TTIP is terrifying. I'm amazed that people aren't out on the streets protesting it, but people have been so cowed by all the fearmongering about how without the nice lovely benign EU and all its regulations, British children will instantly be sent up chimneys and working days extended to 18 hours with a short break for flogging at lunchtime. So everyone's bought into the idea that the main purpose of the EU is to protect the little people from nasty predatory Tory governments.

The reality is that the EU is mostly there to enact the will of bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists, and that it holds nothing but contempt for the wishes of ordinary people.

[ABetaDad1]

TTIP has a sister call the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). In that case, it was negotiated in an extremely covert way by Govt officials. My understanding from what I have read is that and there were extreme measures taken to prevent US lawmakers revealing the details to the general public.

I read that lawmakers (i.e Congress members) were only allowed to read it in a special room with no notes allowed to be taken out.

Much of the TTIP and TPP was written with the assistance of giant multinational corporations. I am unclear if like the TPP how much of the TTIP was subjected to public scrutiny or by elected officials.

The two agreements are a huge deal for people across the whole world but very little public debate has happened and the largest businesses and the wealthiest people will be huge gainers. The poorest will continue to suffer as globalisation is cemented by these two agreements.

[99percentchocolate]

Thanks for sharing the article OP, hadn't heard about this at all - will be reading further now.

[GooseberryRoolz]

No problem.

There aren't many of us here are there? I should have sexed up the thread title

[Abecedario]

I hadn't heard of it, more reading required I think! Really made me question what I thought I'd already decided!

[OTheHugeManatee]

The people negotiating TTIP have no interest in the views of ordinary people. Look at the EU commissioner negotiating it, who simply says 'I do not take my mandate from the European people'.

[OTheHugeManatee]

The people negotiating TTIP have no interest in the views of the general public - only those of bureaucrats, lobbyists and corporations. Look at the EU commissioner negotiating it, who simply says 'I do not take my mandate from the European people'.

[IamSlave]

The reality is that the EU is mostly there to enact the will of bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists, and that it holds nothing but contempt for the wishes of ordinary people

Yes ^^.

I know a little of TTIP, enough to know I am worried by it.

[IamSlave]

Manatee - I would also be feeling arrogant and invincible If I were an EU bureaucrat.

Everything in EU is failing, so many negatives, so few positives with far worse to come and yet they trundle on un touched.

[workshyfop]

It's terrifying and a big part of my decision to vote leave.

[Twooter]

I only heard about it from this and another forum - not seen anything in the news or anywhere else. Really glad you're highlighting it.

Where are we supposed to hear about all these deals - I only heard of the Ukraine deal because of the Dutch referendum - are the ukraines hoping to come on board too?

And not EU related - nicola sturgeon and the Chinese deal?

[autumn500]

Wow never heard of that before and a quick google of it has freaked me right out,very concerning that this isn't more widely discussed-I always assumed we should stay in the EU as it felt like some sort of 'protection' but it doesn't look that way at all

[IceBeing]

yay TTIP - because what we need is to make sure the Canadians can start selling us asbestos again! YAY.....oh and lead paint too....who wouldn't want to unravel all that pesky legislation the EU made to stop babies toys being covered in lead.

So er...yes I know about TTIP and I think it is a totally disgrace.

[Sallyingforth]

I wouldn't tie this too closely to the EU.
After Brexit we'd have to negotiate new trade agreements with the EU and with the US.
They are not going to give us preferential trade agreements without us being bound up in the same TTIP arrangements. They just wouldn't.

[IceBeing]

If anything we might have more ability to stand up to this bullshit if we stay IN - but only if we actually do stand up.

[AnnaForbes]

Not sure how you can sex up TTIP!

I have brought up the monster that is TTIP on several of the referendum threads. It is a terrible deal for us. Amongst other things it will:

Lead to the selling of our NHS - very possibly to US companies.
Force us to use GM food, pesticides and known carcinogens that are currently banned into our food chain.
Let huge corporations sue governments if policies hurt profits - this will lead to government policy being made to suit the agendas of big corporations not people.
It is widely acknowledged that it will lead to huge job losses as businesses move to USA.

No wonder talks are being done behind closed doors.

And no wonder Obama is so keen for us to stay in the EU and sign this. It is of huge benefit to the US and very bad for us.

TTIP is one of the reasons I'm voting Leave.