Dear ,
The failure of the Government to provide the general public with information on the details and legal impact of the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the United States and the European Union is causing widespread public alarm, which I share.

Conjecture in the media suggests that the T.T.I.P will give global big business the right to over-rule those elected national governments that attempt to control or limit commercial activity by international companies operating, or seeking to operate, within that country’s boundaries.

It is reported that the Agreement would give global companies the legal right to insist on work in the public sector being put out to commercial tender; and to deny a national government the right to provide public services directly.

It is further suggested that a company could for example sue a state for raising the minimum wage; or for forbidding the import of hormone-treated meat or genetically modified products; or for imposing controls on packaging – or indeed for passing any other legislation which would compromise a company’s profitability.

Finally, we are told that, under the T.T.I.P., claims made by international companies against the governments of a sovereign state will not be ruled on by the nation’s Court of Law, or be under the jurisdiction of national law; but decided by an ‘Investor/ State Dispute Mechanism’ of appointed business specialists.

I would be grateful if you could obtain from the Government, which has been actively promoting the T.T.I.P., confirmation of the accuracy of these reports. If any one of them is accurate, I would ask you to object to the proposed agreement and to vote against its introduction.

Yours sincerely,