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Unfortunately but not surprisingly yesterday's trade debate in the Commons yielded little in terms of new information - apparently 8 months after announcement the DIT Strategic Trade Advisory Group may soon become operational - as for other matters... 1/5
We learn that MPs have an ISDS (investor State Dispute Settlement) obsession which given we already have 90-odd such agreements and no cases lost, hardly any brought, seems disproportionate and liable to distract from more important issues 2/5
As Barrie Gardiner briefly said, we are no clearer knowing why we want trade deals. @MarcusFysh mentioned selling insurance services in the US, but this is largely a sub-federal issue usually excluded from US trade deals. 3/5
We repeatedly heard reassurances of no lowering of food standards, but since EU food standards have been found in breach of WTO rules (and would be unacceptable to the US, probably CPTPP) how is this issue to be solved? Nothing 4/5
And nothing of substance on how Parliament and stakeholders will be further involved in trade policy, ironic when the PM is suggesting Parliament will get more of a role in EU negotiations. In summary, little to suggest we are yet ready for an independent trade policy 5/5
