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Trade Transparency

Trade Campaigning with XR

04/10/2020 by GJM

Whatever the severity and urgency of the Pandemic it’s important to keep one’s eye on the fundamental threat: climatic disaster

As often emotive headline facts and anger lead to sub-optimal effect when the big picture is not seen; battles may be be won, but the fundamental causes and issues will bring new problems to be addressed.

Sun and Samba

So, wary of the implications which are likely to result from reckless and irresponsible trade deals a couple of us went along to the formal beginning of Extinction Rebellion’s #WeWantToLive “Northern Rebellion” in St. Peter’s Square on 1st. September.

As you would expect on a sunny day, it was well attended with a samba band that had come from the NE as well as folks old and young from the Lakes and Lancs, Bury and Burnage. The road outside the Midland Hotel and Friends Meeting House was blocked, some meditated and the police were gently in attendance while the trams ran unmolested with their squealing drowning out speakers at times.

We mingled offering materials, inviting people to sign petitions and come to our webinar, QR codes for which had been generated and printed. However as time went on I became more aware that “Town” is but a shadow of its former self; plenty of activists, but fewer tourists, shoppers and workers. Many are more cautious of others.

Wary of being trolled (as had already happened in the comments on the MEN website’s disparaging report written before the event) organisers were at pains to encourage social distancing, mask wearing and the peaceful nature of the event.

Speakers

The mysterious Red Brigade made silent appearances (seen here contemplating the fate of climate refugees), as did independent photographers; HS2 was vilified. a priest in Salford represented Christian Climate Action and a wheelchair user emphasised the desire of disabled activists to participate. A formation dance was performed (socially distanced) and a GP spoke of his experiences in Africa . He had set up a Doctors’ XR group which had coordinated posting health warning stickers on over 50 local petrol stations. Marc Hudson from Climate Emergency Manchester spoke well on the need for persistence (and their petition for a scrutiny committee); Mums and Dads with tots and children (celebrating the end of exile from school) chalked the pavement.

We were reminded of the Palestinian issue, Demilitarise Education, and problems facing renters. Later moving testimony was given from the sister of Chris Alder who had been died in police custody 22 years ago. Young Manchester FoE members, School Strikers and other young folk spoke in varied ways: some sweary, some naïve, some inarticulate in their distress.

Eventually we had a chance to point out the links between trade and ecological and climate breakdown. People listened, but action is more difficult and was disappointingly not evident.

Marching

Later the faithful went on a wander-march around the city centre, supposedly to see the sites of “climate sinners”, though the only couple of stations I noted were outside the DWP (2 St Peter’s Sq., underneath Ernst and Young and next door to KPMG, both of whom Christian Aid challenged a few years ago (with PwC and Deloitte) for their failures to make climate-impact reporting norms for banks. Banks were not visited (their day will come) and we ended up squeezing past a police van and legion to admire a pink sprayed building hidden next to the Rising Sun and Credit Union offices in Lincoln Square. We were told this was used by the Daily Mail. We had a bit of a sing song and made our way back to St. Peter’s Square.

We left at that point having tickets for the launch of Nick Dearden’s book. Many others sat around taking refreshments before a vigil, more speakers and workshops.

The knock on effect of the pandemic depleting the audience resulted in what I found a bit disappointing after last year. One always has a first flush but now they were victims of their success – Deansgate is still largely pedestrianised and their threat to business is well enough perceived for mass media to almost blank them.

Supportive councilors were conspicuous by their absence and there were fewer non-campaigners engaged. An incredible amount of expense, organisation and work had gone into preparing publications, hardware, and roles; they could have coped with many more attending.

Then came the rain…

I went along on Tuesday where a much smaller gathering was blighted by persistent rain. There were even fewer passers-by to be engaged but some fun was had by a mass dance. Later we were led off by a circuitous route, with police motorcyclists buzzing too and fro to block off streets . This ended in Dale Street outside the offices of Boohoo where there was some shouting, a smoke flare was let off and (when the samba band arrived) there was more sound. Unfortunately my camera conked out due to the rain and photocopied posters decomposed.

Take away learning experiences:

  1. Get your speech in early by making contact with the organisers before we did!

  2. Have plenty of materials to give away (we virtually ran out as the climate stickers, illustrated climate justice booklet and A4 window posters were taken eagerly- we can only hope that they will be deployed strategically).

  3. Have an action as easy as possible- even with QR codes, getting people to sign a postcard there and then is easier than an e action on a mobile. A giant postcard to sign works well.

  4. Rebels are energetic, committed and imaginative; they are diverse and taking strikes to ensure their inclusivity – we would do well to be inspired and learn much from them; but many lack campaigning experience and can seem to suffer from tunnel vision – we should offer help.

  5. The Rebels achieved a lot with a lot of people taking things on and turning up.

  6. No matter what is planned, the weather and people’s personal and legislated responses to the pandemic may be determinative.

  7. Cover up in the rain, have a prepared “Plan B” stunt to exploit it, or go home!

Filed Under: Actions Tagged With: #WeWantToLive, book, campaigning, Climate Change, Extinction Rebellion, Global Justice Manchester, International Trade, Manchester, Nick Dearden, Northern Rebellion, St. Peter's Square, Trade, trade deal, Trade Democracy, trade negotiations, Trade Secrets, Trade Transparency, Trading with Trump, Trump, US-UK trade, XR

Global Justice Manchester at Stockport Fair Trade Fair

28/11/2019 by GJM

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We had our stall out again this month, campaigning to alert people to the dangers of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US and enjoying the sounds of a steel band and a community choir.

P1030302_web
Manchester Community Choir performing at Stockport Fair Trade Fair

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Fair Trade, Fairtrade, Global, Global Justice Manchester, International Trade, Manchester, Manchester Community Choir, Poverty, Trade, Trade Democracy, Trade Transparency

It makes yer fink! (visit to the Commons International Trade Committee)

10/07/2018 by GJM

On 20th. June I arrived in London on an early morning coach and having time to spare before a meeting went along to Parliament where the Commons International Trade Committee was taking evidence. You can watch it (and me) on https://goo.gl/kQrBab.

There were two hearings on the impact of Brexit on “Trade with the Commonwealth: Developing Countries”; the first with Professor Tony Heron, Department of Politics, University of York , and Brendan Vickers, Head of Research and Policy for International Trade and Economic Development, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Prof. was difficult to follow, Vickers had experience in the Commonwealth, presented some reports his body had produced and spoke energetically, drawing distinctions between different Commonwealth countries as trading partners.

JohnWeekesThe second sitting was perhaps more interesting in some ways as the line up were unreservedly “Free Traders” with a history of negotiation deals including NAFTA.

Not billed, but coming along to support the others was John Weekes, (Pic. Bennett Jones) is a member of the Institute of Economic Affairs and an architect of NAFTA which in the past he’s advocated the UK joining, along with TPP.

Second up was Alan Oxley, Australian former ambassador to GATT, Chair of the Free-Trade Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and International Trade and Competition Unit Advisory Council. His activities in relation to deforestation and the Palm-Oil industries were criticised by the Global South environmental group REDD-Monitor in 2010 citing an open letter sent by eminent scientists worldwide, including Sir Ghillean Prance FRS. Emeritus Director of Kew Gardens.

AlanOxleyLockwoodSmithThirds was Sir Lockwood Smith, of the International Trade and Competition Unit Advisory Council, a former New Zealand Parliament Speaker, High Commissioner and Trade Minister has a great smile, seemingly all the time. (Pic. from Legatum Institute)

He’s a kindred spirit, advocate of Britain being free to join the Trans Pacific Partnership and promoted by Brexiteers: http://www.leavemeansleave.eu/media/sir-lockwood-smith-winner-yesterday-uk/ShankerSingham.jpg

Lastly came Shanker Singham (Pic. from Twitter), a colleague of Alan Oxley and (at the time of the hearing) Director of the International Trade and Competition Unit and the IEA: “A hard-Brexit guru whose thinking has influenced senior cabinet ministers” who has since lost his job at Dept. of International Trade over a ““potential conflict of interest”. He had been advising on trade policy while working four days a week at the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank but this month took a part-time role advising the PR firm Grayling.” (Times; paywall). The extent of his work and his frequent privileged access as a “Hard Brexit svengali” has been catalogued by Open Democracy and his outlook can be see in https://reaction.life/brexit-golden-opportunity-reshape-way-world-trades/.

With such an interesting line-up their opinions, in as much as I could understand them, weren’t too difficult to guess. Sir Lockwood in particular rounding off his contribution with the confident assertion that the UK should clearly cut its ties with the EU.

The chair, Angus Brendan MacNeil (SNP for the Western Isles) showed that he had some awareness of Trade Justice concerns and the potential empowerment of women through trade, leading to Brendan Vickers and Tony Heron, talking about “Women’s empowerment”, though the magnitude of achievements they could point to seemed comparatively slight and fragile when compared to the vision of the Free Traders. (One might wonder if the few millions thrown into such projects through “Aid” are really mere sops.)

Challenging the Free Traders he asked where the wellspring for a trade agreement should be – perhaps Trade ministers meeting in an airport lounge? This was answered by Singham neatly hopping from the asserted necessity of executive government doing trade to the impossibility of a country negotiating with another parliament. He favoured the US system where parliament (through committees and “cleared advisors”) might play “an advisory role” with access to secret documents and industry and trade advice- not publicly available to every Tom, Dick or Harriet. MacNeil challenged again and Singham said Government should set the agenda with Parliament having an “up or down vote on the agreement”.

John Weekes’ shared Canadian experience where a government that had previously called an election to get a free trade deal through its parliament decided a policy of openness and candour (“without giving away secrets”) – resulting in more informed discussion and the trade minister saying that a well informed opposition was much easier to deal with than an uninformed one.

Oxley’s contribution seemed to reflect an assumption that business should be consulted, not civil society – although the public had to be told the purpose of discussions, ongoing consultation wasn’t espoused.

It was sad to see that some members of the committee were absent, not contributing or slipping out. The Committee has 11 members; not half attended. (This was particularly notable with Labour members, however Chris Leslie took an active part.) What sort of scrutiny and thinking does this reflect?

I wasn’t the only witness to proceedings. John Hillary (now Head of Trade Policy, Labour Party) and Manchester’s former trade doyen Gabriel Siles-Brügge, now moved to Warwick and “providing support and advice” to the Committee. Disagreeing about Brexit, they share misgivings about potential trade injustices.

I was left with several things to think about:

  1. If paying peanuts leads to hiring monkeys, what sort of advice can you get if you invite “Free Trade” negotiators from “think tanks”?

  2. Will the Committee hear the ideas of Trade Justice advocates or people engaged in shaping regulations to protect workers, industries, environment et al.? They heard Nick Dearden as an advocate of Trade Justice back in November (See https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/international-trade-committee/news-parliament-2017/trade-bill-evidence-17-19/), but what about actual negotiators?

  3. Why weren’t members of the Committee there?

  4. Do members of the Committee (or anyone else in Westminster beyond Carolyn Lucas) ever seriously ponder the desirability of (economic) “Growth” or even “Degrowth”?

  5. Why weren’t more members of the public there?

  6. Wouldn’t it improve our thinking, arguing and campaigning if we listened to and thought about what is actually said by people rather than depending on second hand images through NGO briefings and simplified stereotypes and slogans.

You can readily find such meetings on the Commons website and that day one was spoilt for choice, other hearings involving HS2, the state of Brexit negotiations, Northern Ireland agriculture, Benefit Sanctions, local authority support for Grenfell Tower residents, the proposed ASDA/Sainsbury’s merger and the work of the government’s equality office, to name but a few in the morning.

As long as you leave weapons, placards, tools, whistles and a few other things at home you can get in to walk the corridors of power for free with no more trouble than turning out your pockets and being frisked. They scan bags which you have to keep with you – though I don’t know if they would accept a suitcase. For more information see https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/ukvisitors/committees/

Stephen Pennells

Take action for a more transparent and democratic trade regime

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Brexit democracy, House of Commons, International Trade, Trade Democracy, Trade Transparency

Two more members receive letters from their MPs about the Trade Bill Amendment

11/04/2018 by GJM

Afzal01upload800px-Official_portrait_of_Kate_Green_crop_2

I wrote to my MP, Kate Green (Lab, Stretford & Urmston) expressing concern about the Trade Bill going through Parliament; namely the lack of accountability to Parliament in this Bill and any future trade deals following Brexit. So-called ‘Henry VIII’ powers would be used by government ministers to rush through trade agreements and alterations to EU laws without parliamentary debate and scrutiny.

Ms Green assured me that she herself was a sponsor of an amendment (NC3) aimed to ensure this did not happen.

She goes as far as to say that MPs should have access to the negotiating texts of international trade agreements as they are formulated. And that all documents relating to trade negotiations should be listed on the parliamentary website, as they are in other European parliaments.

I find this very encouraging, and am certain that my MP is strong advocate of the very position taken on these matters by GMTAN.

Brian Hepworth

 

Afzal Khan (Labour, Gorton) however, despite having been lobbied in Parliament and given us a photos at the Trade Bill Takedown had to be chivied to reply to a request to co-sponsor the amendment.

He responded:

“…This is something that we have been pressing on the Government since the bill received its second reading in parliament on the 9th of January.

I am pleased that New Clause 3 has been tabled now prior to Report Stage of the Bill and replicated many of the amendments that and my Labour colleagues tabled at the committee stage. If it is one of the amendments selected at Report Stage by the Speaker then I will be supporting it.

I was disappointed that the Government’s Trade Bill did not include such measures when it was introduced to the House of Commons, and that is why I opposed it at Second Reading. I was further disappointed that at Committee Stage the Government voted down Opposition amendments that would have precisely ensured proper oversight by Parliament. As a front bench spokesperson I am unable to sign Early Day Motions. However, I will continue to press for proper transparency and scrutiny of trade deals both in the Trade Bill and when the Government sets out its policy on future trade deals thereafter. …”

Stephen Pennells, GJ Manc.

If you have been in contact with your MP, on this or any other Global Justice Now campaign, please let us know so that we can publish their response.

Picture of Kate Green: Jeff Smith by Chris McAndrew CC-BY-3.0

Picture of Afzal Khan: Stephen Pennells, Global Justice Manchester CC-BY-4.0

Filed Under: Actions Tagged With: Afzal Khan, Democracy, Greater Manchester, House of Commons, International Trade, Kate Green, Manchester, Members of Parliament, MPs, Parliament, Trade Bill, Trade Democracy, Trade Transparency, WC3 amendment

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Blackley and Broughton:
Graham Stringer (Labour)

Manchester Central:
Lucy Powell (Labour/Co-operative)

Manchester, Gorton:
Afzal Khan (Labour)

Manchester, Withington:
Jeff Smith (Labour)

Salford and Eccles:
Rebecca Long-Bailey (Labour)

Stretford and Urmston:
Kate Green (Labour)

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