Trade Bill: MPs vote against greater post-Brexit trade deal scrutiny

Ministers will have the power to approve the import of lower-standard animal food products into the UK, after an attempt to amend the Trade Bill to give MPs a greater say on post-Brexit trade deals failed yesterday afternoon.

Conservative MPs overwhelmingly voted against an amendment to the Trade Bill which sought to ensure parliament is able to engage, scrutinise, and vote on future trade deals before they are signed into law by the government.

The government has insisted that it does not plan to dilute environmental standards or allow the import of controversial food products such as chlorinated chicken post-Brexit, but it has repeatedly refused to sign dedicated 'non-regression' clauses into law.

The House of Lords put forward a series of amendments to the Trade Bill in December that would have given all parliamentarians a chance to debate and vote on the UK's trade negotiation objectives, as well as ensure a vote on any final deal.

But MPs voted 353 to 277 against the amendment yesterday, a decision campaigners fear could pave the way for a US trade deal that legalises the import of products that are produced to lower environmental or animal welfare standards than permitted in the UK. There are also fears that without Parliamentary scrutiny the government will face less pressure to introduce clauses into trade deals that encourage countries to tackle deforestation or step up efforts to curb their greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, MPs, businesses, and green campaigners have pointed out that the lack of scrutiny would give UK parliamentarians less power than lawmakers in the EU and US over deals that could have a major impact on their constituents.

But in yesterday's debate, Trade Minister Greg Hands argued the changes that had been proposed by the House of Lords went "far beyond what would be appropriate for our unique constitutional make-up and would unduly tie the hands of government to negotiate in the best interests of the UK". He added that the Trade Bill's "enhanced provisions" for ensuring transparency and accountability were "at least as strong as, and in some cases are stronger than" those in place in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

However, Jonathan Djangoly, one of a small number of Conservative MPs who voted against the government, pointed out the move was at odds with the government's sovereignty agenda and represented a regression from standards enjoyed by lawmakers when the UK was a member of the EU.

"As things stand, unbelievably, the UK shall have less legislative scrutiny of trade deals than when we were a member of the European Union," he said. "Surely that is not what taking back control was all about. The power of approval that was given to MEPs now needs to come back here to Parliament, not to be forgotten about by Ministers. Having proper scrutiny votes will go towards establishing the UK as a modern, democratic, confident international trading nation."

The sentiment was echoed by Labour's Alex Sobel, who pointed out that members of US Congress under incoming President Joe Biden's administration "will enjoy scrutiny over its trade deals, but without these amendments, we will not".

Sobel emphasised that trade negotiations were a key instrument the UK could use to boost global climate action in the run up to the COP26 climate conference it is set to co-host in the autumn in Glasgow.

"We must keep our qualities and standards, and we cannot leave the quality of our food on the table in any trade negotiation," he added. "In addition, we need a robust Trade Agriculture and Commission that defends public health, protects the environment and ensures the future of our farming communities. As President of COP26, one of the weapons in our armoury for a binding agreement is trade deals, and we would not want to have trade pulling one way and diplomacy another."

And on Twitter, Green MP Caroline Lucas dubbed Conservative MPs decision to limit parliamentarians voice on trade deals Parliament an "astonishing act of self-sabotage".

Extraordinary

MPs vote 353 to 277 to deprive themselves of powers to scrutinise & approve new trade deals

Why on earth are so many Tories so keen to weaken parliament? And so complicit in their own diminution?

Astonishing act of self-sabotage #TradeBill @TradeJusticeMov

— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) January 19, 2021