Wokingham’s MP, Clive Jones, has today called on Keir Starmer to keep his promise that MP’s will have a voice on any trade deal agreed with the US.
During Prime Minister’s Questions last week, Clive Jones asked Keir Starmer to keep his promise to allow MPs to vote on any trade deal agreed with Donald Trump’s
administration.
A vote on a US trade deal is important as such an agreement could result in food standards being lowered, technology giants and billionaires being given tax cuts, and online safety laws being watered down.
Earlier this week, the Liberal Democrats uncovered a Labour official policy paper from 2021, where the Labour Party explicitly called for a “guaranteed vote on the resulting agreements” of any trade deal with another country.
The Wokingham MP’s question to the Prime Minister comes ahead of Clive Jones, and his Lib Dem colleagues, putting forward a ‘Parliamentary Scrutiny of Trade Agreements Bill’, which would implement exactly what Labour had previously promised to do. The Bill will essentially provide for parliamentary approval of international trade agreements and make other provisions for scrutiny.
In his question to the Prime Minister, Clive Jones said that currently, “MPs have no vote” and “they have no voice”, demanding that MPs have their say on any deal negotiated with President Trump.
Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, Clive Jones MP said: “My question to the Prime Minister was an important opportunity to make sure that Labour would not break their promise in allowing MPs to vote on future trade agreements.
“With President Trump’s tariffs causing so much economic instability in international trade, it is important that we are able to scrutinise Government deals and protect key assets from being exploited.
“I, and my Liberal Democrat colleagues, will continue to hold this Government to account, and ensure that MPs have their say on any future trade agreements.”
