StopTTIP meeting 20th January 2014 – minutes

By Clive Menzies

1. Effects on NHS – Set up public fora –

Few people in NHS are involved in process. Do they care? Fear is prevalent. Growing awareness of

TTIP in Keep Our NHS Public. Labour promise to reverse privatisation but prohibited under TTIP.

Need more campaigning. Groups are making waves and blocked Serco from a commissioning

contract Lewisham. CCG rejected it. NHS is much more of a hot button for people in contrast to

Fire Station closures. Emotional affinity for the NHS – 70% of contracts going to the private sector.

People are willing to act. Ending competition – Labour are promising to stop forcing competition.

Competitive not a planned service. Unite don’t think Labour will go far enough. Pharmaceutical

industry. Health and Social Care Act – can’t be reverse. Exemption for NHS from TTIP called for by

Andy Burnham. South London KONP UK pays 300% of European average for drugs. Swedish

experience – Karl Rove. National Pensioners Convention. KONP agreed to focus on TTIP. Brent

KNOP talking about TTIP. Demands need a time-line/ultimatum. 19Th March 2014 – budget day.

Green Party is the only political party overtly against TTIP.

Getting people from KONP and other into a room to talk about TTIP – workshops. 30Th January

2014: Charlton House, South East London. Lewisham and Greenwich –

Alison Pollack will speak on TTIP . Set up a specific NHS – TTIP meeting.

Shell conference in March – at Millennium Gloucester hotel in Knightsbridge. TTIP and fracking. A

week on Monday. Dave Dewhurst – talking shout out- democracy and the corporation. EWG

focusing on TTIP. UCU Saturday conference the right to education 5th February. TTIP will be

mentioned. Cops off campus – probably will include TTIP. Big public meeting about TTIP – John

Hilary WoW; Trade Justice and others. Friends House? (Mark) Venue? Kings Cross – Camden

Town Hall. University? Goldsmiths? April (ish). Need speakers: John Hilary, George Monbiot, Zac

Goldsmith, Green Party Caroline Lucas, David Graeber. Glyn Moody, Max Kaiser, Stacey Herbert,

Unions.

2. Follow on from strategy meeting

Vision for the political space in Dec 2014 – the obstacles to getting there. Split activities across

teams – outreach – Jan need contacts. Press group – International Business Times article. Gareth

invited an article. Prefer to have a series – awaiting response for Gareth’s return. Tom’s written

something. Action group – banner made at the March for freedom. Rather conceptual – prefer

actions orientation. Useful to plan the picture. Document that people can refer to. Structure.

Opening up was useful. Reducing issues to a statement on a postit note can be limiting. For people

who are less involved, it is very useful. Press, Street Action, fund raising, publicity and materials.

Tom’s done a leaflet on finance. Kai wants to make another flyer and video with Mark. Media and

website in progress. Dan. Mel writing group dynamics. Recirculate the list of groups which need

resources – mini-meetings very useful. Naomi waiting for the website. MS Publisher template for a

newsletter and introduction. Information kit. Collate materials on a central repository. Word-press

template ready to go. Obi, Chris and Linda will work together on it. Parliamentary Parliamentary

activity – All Party Parliamentary Group meeting totally in support of TTIP. Which, CBI, all in

favour. Unions only raised some job issues. National Farmers Fed want an impact assessment.

National Food Federation – GMO issues? Brussels meeting feedback on third round – Friends of

the Earth – best summary of the one sided nature of the meeting. NGOs made strong objections.

Businesses clamouring for ISDS. Linda made reference to Independent article on Sovereignty.

Meeting at the House of Lords – chief negotiated. Linda’s written to the Chair of European Scrutiny

committee. Writing to MPs to demand questioning in Parliament. They work for us. How will TTIP

effect education, health etc. (What do they know site). Zac Goldsmith to set up a Parliamentary

Opposition Group. IRSG watered down food regulation (article in the Independent – big banks, food

speculation). Commons movement – approach by Tim to see what they think about TTIP and TTP.

3. Draft EU NGO statement – International working group – connections. Who’s behind it? Need a

time limit for the demands. A lot of the signatories are funded by the commission.

4. Unions – Owen Tudor (TUC) obstructive on progressive issues? Challenge will come from

public awareness, will they drive it. Whatever groups are organisations people are in, they will be

affected, as they become aware, they can bring pressure in a more concerted way. Unions are

dealing with many issues – use conferences. Occupy working with Hands off LT – possible

privatisation post election. Schedule of big union events. Teaching unions over Easter, Unison,

Unite coming soon. Collate union events into the calender. Good time to get TTIP into the motions

– leaflet, fringe meetings. Lib Conference March – take away your local voice

5. Independent article on sovereignty – study the sources of TTIP’s historical perspective. Jay Treaty

1795 – American war of Independence. Threw out East India Company. Most favoured nation status

(Astor family – Cameron’s father in law). Investor state disputes. More interesting than the

bureaucratic minutiae. Alien capital.

6. IRSG Meeting of IRSG meeting on 23rd Jan at JP Morgan 25 Bank Street, in Canary Wharf –

EWG focusing on finance.

7. Intercontinental day of action 31st January (driven by TPP) – details from Paul. Marcus

Krajewski article. MAI and GATS – lawyer – sense of history. Positive listing? International day of

Action against the TPP and Corporatism 31st January – global.

8. Jan’s list – all the people on the list?