September 03, 2018

Amend UK trade bill to allow MPs and peers to scrutinise deals with other countries before Brexit, urge campaigners

The Trade Bill currently passing through Parliament must be amended to allow MPs and peers to scrutinise and vote on trade deals negotiated with other countries after the UK leaves the EU, according to campaign groups.

Ahead of a House of Lords debate on the bill on 11 September, campaigners from the Fairtrade Foundation, Global Justice Now, SumOfUs, Trade Justice Movement, and War on Want delivered petitions with a total of over 67,000 signatures to the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park.

The current provisions in the trade bill give only a very limited role for MPs and peers in the development and scrutiny of the UK's post-Brexit trade policy. The petitions call on members of the House of Lords to amend the Trade Bill to guarantee members of both chambers meaningful scrutiny over all trade deals, including a vote to approve them.