This letter was published in The Telegraph on 20 October 2017
SIR – Modern trade agreements affect most sectors of the British economy, from agriculture and finance to energy and public services. Parliament has legislative rights across these sectors.
However, existing procedures for the ratification of trade agreements do not guarantee parliamentary or public oversight and scrutiny.
We call on the Government to include a procedure within the forthcoming Trade Bill for the negotiation and ratification of trade agreements that guarantees the following.
There must be transparency in trade negotiations, ensuring that the public has access to the information required to oversee and scrutinise them.
It must be the right of Parliament, with a remit for the devolved administrations, to set a detailed mandate to govern each trade negotiation, to be kept informed of the progress of negotiations and to approve or reject the final agreements.
The public must have the right to be consulted when setting a mandate, and Parliament must have the right to initiate the withdrawal from trade agreements in accordance with each agreement’s provisions for exit.
As Britain regains responsibility for trade policy, it is crucial that a broad spectrum of stakeholders participate in the development of that new policy. Therefore, the Government must take the chance to establish a procedure for the development of trade agreements that is transparent and inclusive.
Dr Hannah Bargawi, Senior Lecturer in Economics, SOAS, University of London
Professor Andreas Bieler, Professor of Political Economy, University of Nottingham
Dr Liam Campling, Reader in Political Economy, Queen Mary, University of London
Professor Philip G Cerny Professor Emeritus of Politics and Global Affairs, University of Manchester and Rutgers University-Newark
Professor Paul Craig, Professor of English Law, Oxford University
Lord Meghnad Desai, Emeritus Professor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science
Dr Matthew Eagleton-Pierce, Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy, SOAS, University of London
Dr Jeanette Findlay, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Glasgow
Professor Valpy FitzGerald Professor Emeritus of International Development Finance, University of Oxford
Professor Mary Footer, Professor of International Economic Law, University of Nottingham
Dr Clair Gammage, Lecturer of Law and Director of Employability, University of Bristol
Dr Maria Garcia, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Bath
Professor Barry K Gills, Professor of Development Studies, University of Helsinki
Associate Professor James Harrison, Associate Professor, University of Warwick
Professor Tony Heron, Professor of International Politics, University of York
Dr Holger Hestermeyer, Shell Reader in International Dispute Resolution, Kings College London
Professor Susan Himmelweit, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Open University
Leslie Huckfield, PhD Student and Visiting Senior Fellow, Glasgow Caledonian University
Dr Stephen Hurt, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Oxford Brookes University
Associate Professor Emily Jones, Associate Professor in Public Policy, Oxford University
Dr Neil Lancastle, Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University
Dr Mark Langan, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Newcastle University
Professor Andrew Le Sueur, Professor of Constitutional Justice, University of Essex
Professor Michael Lipton, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Sussex University
Professor Steven McGuire, Professor of Business and Public Policy and Head of the School of Business, Management and Economics, University of Sussex
Professor Jonathan Michie, Professor of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange, University of Oxford
Dr Satoshi Miyamura, Senior Lecturer in the Economy of Japan, SOAS, University of London
Dr Mario Mendez, Reader in Law, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Simon Mohun, Emeritus Professor of Political Economy, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Jamie Morgan, Leeds Beckett University
Professor Oliver Morrissey, Professor of Development Economics, University of Nottingham
Professor Peter Muchlinski, Professor of International Commercial Law, SOAS, University of London
Dr Valbona Muzaka, Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy, Kings College London
Professor Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford
Professor Tonia Novitz, Professor of Labour Law, University of Bristol
Professor Ozlem Onaran, Professor of Economics, University of Greenwich
Professor Ronen Palan, Professor of International Political Economy, City, University of London
Dr Jonathan Perraton, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sheffield
Dr Sophia Price, Head of Politics and International Relations, Leeds Beckett University
Professor David Richards, Professor of Public Policy, University of Manchester
Associate Professor Ben Richardson, Associate Professor in International Political Economy, University of Warwick
Dr Miriam Ronzoni, Reader in Political Theory, University of Manchester
Professor Alfredo Saad Filho, Professor of Political Economy, SOAS, University of London
Emeritus Professor Malcolm Sawyer, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Leeds
Dr James Scott, Lecturer in International Politics, Kings College London
Emeritus Professor Prem Sikka, Emeritus Professor of Accounting, University of Essex
Professor Pritam Singh, Professor of Economics, Oxford Brookes University
Dr Gary Slater, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Leeds
Professor Adrian Smith, Professor of Human Geography, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Silke Trommer, Lecturer in Politics, University of Manchester
Professor William Twining, Quain Professor of Jurisprudence Emeritus, University College London
Dr Roberto Veneziani, Reader in Economics, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Matthew Watson, Professor of Political Economy and ESRC Professorial Fellow, University of Warwick
Professor John Weeks, Emeritus Professor of Economics, SOAS, University of London
Professor L Alan Winters, Director, UK Trade Policy Observatory, University of Sussex