TTIP vote postponed
Planned vote on TTIP postponed
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) must wait for their chance to influence the direction of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), after the planned 10 June vote was postponed. A new date has yet to be announced.
TTIP is a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. Supporters argue that it would lead to multilateral economic growth. Opponents are concerned that it would bolster corporate power and put the NHS at risk.
Jude Kirton-Darling, a Quaker and Labour MEP for the North East, said: ‘We, with no doubt MEPs from across the political spectrum, were extremely disappointed to hear that today’s vote in parliament was to be postponed. Our chance to present the Commission with a mandate developed via proper democratic process will not be granted to us today [10 June]’.
She added that the fight is not over, and ‘more work must be done to achieve consensus across a broad political spectrum’.
Jude delivered the Salter Lecture at Yearly Meeting 2015. The subject was ‘Trade deals: realistic concerns or rabble-rousing?’ (see the Friend, 8 May.)
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