I have pushed back on TTIP in several ways, campaigning locally, nationally and in Europe.
Today I was emailed by Going to Work from the TUC.
They've produced an email campaining tool for TTIP, making it easy for people to hold their MEPs to account.
Here is the email I sent to the 10 MEPs in the South East. Feel free to re-use it - I believe it's an enhancement on their suggested email text. The first two paragraphs are my additions.
I remain very concerned about TTIP, and the weasel words and obfuscation used by MEPs to try to hide their actions and inactions. I've been in touch with several, and their officers, this week. The complexity of the EU enables them to hide - but if European citizens hold them to account, they cannot hide.
To their credit, some MEPs are trying to engage with citizens over TTIP - long may that continue. But they need to make the EU clearer to voters, otherwise with the complexity of the EU, this enables the enemies of the EU to misrepresent what is happening - and the voters to make up their minds based on inaccurate or incomplete information.
And that might lead to Britain leaving the EU (Brexit)...
Best wishes,
Andrew
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Suggested email text:
TTIP is a microcosm of all that is
wrong with the EU - secret,
unaccountable, remote and over-
complicated. These things mean that
UK voters don't trust the EU, and
don't understand it, even more than
they do already.
Please - MAKE A CLEAR STAND AGAINST
ISDS and privatisation. Don't hide
behind bureaucracy and complexity
of the EU, like some MEPs have
tried to this week - and then blame
others for misrepresenting their
actions and inaction.
When you vote in June on the
European Parliament resolution on
the Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP),
please make sure it protects the
people you represent.
This is a crucial opportunity for
the European Parliament to hold the
European Commission to account and
make clear that they must negotiate
trade deals in the public interest,
not for private profit. TTIP poses
significant threats to democratic
decision-making, public services,
and the rights of working people,
consumers and the environment.
Please support a resolution on TTIP
that requires the Commission to:
defend workers’ rights; protect
public services; remove ISDS and
special courts for foreign
investors; and maintain all
regulatory protections for workers,
consumers and the environment.
I look forward to your confirmation
that you will support these
objectives in the forthcoming vote.