Calum Martin, national co-chair of the Scottish Socialist Party, highlights a new trade deal between Japan and the EU which will increase the power of corporations over our lives, and says it’s wrong to think of ‘free trade’ as anti-Trump, as the US President’s plan is simply seeking to bully countries into acquiescing to US corporate power

Parliamentary event will see MSPs discuss the implications of post-Brexit trade deals

THE TRADE JUSTICE Scotland Coalition has organised an event which will highlight the risks of post-Brexit trade deals in light of the UK Government’s Trade Bill.

The event aimed at MSPs and supported by Green MSP Mark Ruskell will take place in the Scottish Parliament on 16 January - one week after the controversial Trade Bill was passed at its second reading in the House of Commons.

EU-Canada corporate pact in turmoil as Belgian region rebels 

WALLONIA has left years of planning for an EU-Canada trade deal in tatters after its government refused to support the corporate ‘Ceta’ pact.

Ceta (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) was constructed through seven years of economic talks between Canadian and EU officials, but faced a backlash over its potential threats to economic, environmental, and social wellbeing. 

Concerns over Canada-EU corporate trade deal at SNP conference 

GLOBAL JUSTICE NOW, the campaign group for international equality, have called on the SNP to fully oppose the controversial ‘Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement’ (CETA) with a stunt protest outside the party’s conference at the weekend (Saturday 15 October).

Dressed as ‘corporate rats’, protests carried out a theatrical protest to highlight the case that big business trade deals exclude elected governments, citizens, and environmental interests from financial decision making. 

CommonSpace brings you the news so you don’t have to go looking for it

TODAY’S INSTALMENT (30 August) of the CommonSpace daily news roundup includes Apple being ordered to pay back £11bn in corporation tax, Joseph Stiglitz entering the Scottish currency debate, and Jeremy Corbyn’s launch of a digital manifesto.

News: Apple ordered to pay £11bn in Irish taxes

Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden says people opposed to TTIP need to extend the fight to Ceta

LAST week I joined activists and campaigners from across the globe who came to Canada for the World Social Forum. A major topic of discussion was the problems with TTIP-style free trade agreements and how we can stop them.

MPs call for democratic control of any UK trade deals 

ENGLISH AND WELSH Green Party leader Caroline Lucas is leading the demand for democratic oversight of any post-Brexit trade deals entered into by a UK government.

Tory Minister Liam Fox has been globe-trotting, talking up prospects of corporate trade deals with developing and commonwealth economies in the wake of the Brexit referendum in June 2016. 

‘Toxic corporate trade pact’ between the EU and Canada passed by parliament 

CAMPAIGNERS HAVE CONDEMNED EU POLITICAL leaders for backing the much-protested ‘Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement’ (Ceta) between the EU and Canada. 

MEPs backed the deal by 408 votes to 254 amid a frenzy of protests and cries of opposition at the EU plenary session in Strasbourg today (Wednesday 15 February).  MEPs held up signs in opposition and chanted ‘Stop Ceta!’ as votes were called. 

Campaigners: ‘Reject toxic corporate trade pact with Canada’

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN STRASBOURG will face a crucial test tomorrow [15 February] with its official vote on the controversial Ceta deal.

Ceta (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) is the proposed economic deal between the EU and Canada, constructed after seven years of talks between governments and bureaucrats.