Global Justice Brighton and Hove

Back in November 2017 the new trade bill was quietly introduced in parliament, it recently passed the second reading stage. As it stands the UK parliament has very limited powers over trade and if the bill passes in its current form, Westminster MPs will have less influence over any EU-UK trade deal than MEPs in Brussels or even deputies in Belgian regional assemblies. On the other hand, it will give trade secretary Liam Fox and the UK government huge powers to negotiate trade deals without parliamentary scrutiny and accountability. These days trade deals aren’t just about trade, but they affect every area of life such as social policy, labour standards, consumer rights, environmental protection – all things that are in the public interest. It is an extremely worrying and undemocratic development. But we can stop it if we mobilise enough people power!

Join Global Justice Brighton & Hove to discuss what a truly accountable and democratic trade policy could look like and what you can do to make it happen!

When: Tuesday, 27 February from 7-9pm

Where: lovethatstuff Fair Trade Shop, 8 The Boardwalk, Waterfront, Brighton Marina, BN2 5WA

Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 runs from 26 February to 11 March.

It’s time to put people before profit in the global drug industry. Hear from South African campaigner Sibongile Tshabalala from Treatment Action Campaign about the fight for access to affordable HIV medicines and how this relates to us in the UK. Heidi Chow from Global Justice Now will talk about the new pharmaceuticals campaign. Emma Robertson from Just Treatment will speak about her personal fight to drop the price of a live saving new breast cancer drug.

7pm, Thursday 9 November
Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD

More info and book your free place >>

In spite of medical advances, millions of people around the world suffer and die from treatable conditions because they cannot afford to pay for expensive medicine.

Drug companies can charge runaway prices because new drugs are protected by legal monopolies. This model has made the pharmaceutical industry the most profitable in the world.

The companies justify high prices by claiming they need to recoup their research and development costs. But nine of the top ten pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than on research and development. And the majority of innovative early-stage research is actually publicly-funded.

Event organised by Global Justice Now and supported by Youth Stop AIDS.

At Global Justice Brighton & Hove we’ve a lot of experience in challenging the power of corporations through actions and campaigns.

When we first heard about TTIP we went out onto the streets and started raising awareness through street theatre, stalls, linking up with other groups and just generally shouting (articulately) rather a lot.

It worked. Yay! TTIP is now dead in the water. However the fight never stops.

We’re now focusing on what a post-Brexit Britain will look like. Under May’s Conservatives, cosy trade deals with U.S. corporations look likely – with all the lack of welfare regulations and care for the environment they’ll drive in as part of the deal.

Worst of all, the deals will be locked in for life so no future governments will be able to get out of them.

But fear not: together we are stronger than divided, and if the powers that be think they can drive through trade deals that benefit big business at our expense without anyone noticing, they’ll soon be thinking again.

So here’s what you can do.

If you live in Brighton or Hove: get along to one of our local group meetings. Second Tuesday of the month at the Old Ship Hotel on the seafront (get more info here). We can’t do anything without people like you getting involved. It doesn’t matter who you are or how much or little you know. All are welcome, and we’re all very friendly, honest 😉

Join our facebook group and sign up to our email list.

Join national Global Justice Now if you haven’t already. We can all send off a signed postcard, at least. Many drops make an ocean. Let’s stop the corporate bully boys in their tracks.

Much love

Global Justice Brighton & Hove

Our ‘CETA snake’ made an appearance in Brighton on Sunday 6 November #CETA #StopCETA

The Comprehensive Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU was recently signed by EU officials and the Canadian prime minister. Now the deal is scheduled for a vote in the European Parliament in early 2017. Then it has to be ratified by the 28 EU member states. However, there is a high chance that CETA is up for preliminary application, i.e. its implementation before full ratification by all member states.

Like TTIP this so called trade deal is more about the protection of investments. It is a tool by big business to secure high profits, while workers and the environment will pay the price as the experience with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) shows. CETA will also give sweeping new powers to big corporations including a mechanism to sue local and national governments if they see their profits threatened by new legislation passed in the public interest to protect workers’ rights and wellbeing and the environment. As all big US corporations have subsidiaries in Canada, they will be able to sue European and Canadian governments for compensation.  Find out more about CETA in the Global Justice Now briefing.

What can you do? Demand a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons. And write to your MP or MEP to tell them why it’s a bad deal and demand that they reject it.