Labour MP Clive Lewis has criticised the anti-democratic nature of the US-UK tariff deal.
Clive Lewis: there must be accountability over US-UK tariff deal
In a PoliticsHome article, Lewis insisted that, while there’s always a worrying “absence of parliamentary accountability” around trade deals:
the current trade talks with the US stand out. There has been no public consultation, no published mandate, and reports suggest secrecy has intensified, with some documents now classified “top secret”. MPs have been told there will be no guaranteed vote.
He argued that “MPs must get a say”, saying:
Eight years ago, we were told we were taking back control. If we are serious about that promise, trade deals – among the most consequential decisions a government can make – must be subject to full parliamentary accountability.
The Stop Trump Coalition agrees, stressing that:
The deal has been negotiated in secrecy and looks set to be pushed through without a vote in Parliament. It should be subject to democratic scrutiny and a full vote.
It asserted that:
This one-sided agreement is just a precursor to a bigger, worse deal – it fires the starting gun on more rounds of negotiations. Trump will come back for more, and expect Starmer to say “thank you”.
The next round of negotiations could reportedly include proposals to cut the digital services tax, a UK tax on billionaire-owned big tech corporations such as Amazon and Meta.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s not to trust Keir Starmer
Starmer has shown time and again that we can’t trust him. And with him now “caving in to Trump’s bullying”, we should be very concerned. As Clive Lewis pointed out:
If a deal is genuinely in the public interest, the government should have the confidence to make its case. Open debate can improve a deal, as Parliament and the public bring forward concerns and insights.
This kind of debate is essential, he said, because the absence of democratic scrutiny is precisely what has driven mass discontent with mainstream political parties in recent months and years. He added:
people feel increasingly shut out of decisions that shape their lives. From calls for public ownership of essential services like water to demands for wealth taxation, citizens feel unheard. The populist right has capitalised on this alienation, tapping into the sentiment that ordinary people lack real influence.
That’s why the secrecy must end. Because as he explained:
These negotiations affect every aspect of our daily lives – from the kind of food on our shelves to the cost of medicines and the rules governing foreign investment.
Featured image via the Canary
