John Battle MP's Parliament Call For Trade Justice

John Battle, Labour MP for Leeds West, has launched a new Parliamentary motion for trade justice.

"I have tabled a Parliamentary motion, Early Day Motion 333, calling for the Government to make EU trade negotiations take the needs of the world's poorest people more seriously," he said.

"There's no sense in increasing our aid with one hand if we stop poor countries making a living with the other.

"EU trade negotiations with Africa could mean African countries opening up to free trade without Europe dropping our subsidies and trade barriers, and that could seriously hurt poor farmers. I serve on the International Development Select Committee of MPs - we have reported in great detail on the impact of trade agreements like this which can destroy the livelihoods of those who are already among the poorest. Earlier this year we welcomed the Government's commitment not to persuade poor countries to make unhelpful trade deals on a global level at the World Trade Organisation. But instead there is a danger that the EU may try to pick off African nations one by one and negotiate trade deals that will damage the poor. The Government must prevent our EU colleagues from going down this road.

"I get more letters from my constituents about aid, fair trade, international debt and related issues than on almost anything else, as do many other MPs - and I've noticed a great increase in people's concerns about these things in the last five to ten years.

"The Chancellor has promised to reach the United Nations aid target of giving 0.7% of national income in aid, with major increases in the aid budget planned for the next three years, as well as having led the way internationally on tackling unpayable international debt. Changes in trade rules to ensure trade justice are also crucial if we are to halve world poverty by 2015, as we and most of the world's governments have promised to do."

John Battle is a patron of the very active local campaigning group TIDAL, Trade Injustice and Debt Action Leeds, who are campaigning

The International Development Select Committee's evidence on this subject is available at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmintdev.htm

The full text of Early Day Motion 333 is available at www.edm.ais.co.uk.

© John Battle MP 6th December 2004