It is welcome to see attention being drawn to the appalling lack of transparency surrounding the UK’s programme of post-Brexit free trade agreements (FTAs) (“Rishi Sunak faces fresh conflict of interest row over India trade talks”, News). That the government should advise parliament’s trade committee not to so much as visit a prospective FTA partner during negotiations is absurd, and emblematic of the anti-democratic way in which trade agreements have been negotiated since we took back control.
Negotiations with India are into their 12th round and neither the public nor parliament has seen a word of what has been concluded. Compare our system of scrutiny with the US, where Congress sets out the negotiating mandate that the executive branch can follow, and individual members of Congress have the right to request briefings during negotiations covering classified materials.
