Parliament has again voted to tie its own hands on all future trade deals. In a vote on the Trade Bill, 9th February, MPs voted against an amendment that would have guaranteed Parliament a vote on trade deals.
The Department for International Trade has stated[1]
“Any deal the UK Government agrees will be fair and balanced and in the best interests of the whole of the UK. As we will in all negotiations, we remain committed to upholding our high environmental, labour, product and food safety, and animal welfare standards in our trade agreement with [for example] Australia, as well as protecting the National Health Service (NHS).”
By rejecting this and other amendments, which would have enshrined the above commitments into law for all trade deals, it appears that even with an 80-seat majority, the government doesn’t trust its own MPs.
The vote represents the continuing slide from parliamentary democracy into government by cabal.
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