Ruth Bergan, Director of the Trade Justice Movement, responds to the International Trade Committee's new report UK trade negotiations: Parliamentary scrutiny of free trade agreement. The report demonstrates that the mechanisms for Parliamentary scrutiny of trade deals are not fit for purpose.
"This report from the International Trade Committee is very timely. It highlights the total lack of clarity from the UK on how it will tackle human rights issues in the context of its trade negotiations.
"Progress on the India deal has slowed significantly, this is positive to the extent that it allows time for proper reflection on whether the UK should be negotiating deals with countries where there are clear human rights concerns. In India, this includes the imprisonment without trial of a UK national (Jagtar Singh Johal).
"The Government should now work with the International Trade Committee and civil society stakeholders to look at how it will hold India and other countries to account for their poor human rights record and what signal trade negotiations send. Part of this has to be better, meaningful engagement with parliament and stakeholders, including a commitment to change course if that's what the evidence suggests."
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