Poisonous treaties? Let’s vote to leave

HOW kind of Barack Obama to come to Britain to try to reinforce the US government’s special relationship with the UK government. From the degree and persistence of Obama’s anti-Brexit interventions it’s apparent that this relationship is just about as special as any masterpoodle relationship can ever get.

However, his main threat is that in the event of us voting to leave the EU, we will be relegated to the back of the queue in negotiating trade deals with our transatlantic masters, that is, if we’re allowed to join the queue at all.

Until now we have managed quite well without these treaties, and Obama was careful to avoid describing the one that’s now under discussion – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The discussions are in secret, but from the little that has been leaked, the main thrust is to improve the profitability of capital and large corporations by privatising staterun organisations like the NHS and enabling the corporations to sue any management that reduces their profitability for any reason, eg by reducing working hours or enhancing safety.

There have already been big protests against TTIP in Germany, where workers seem to be more aware of what is happening than we are, and if we can learn enough before the EU referendum, I suspect most of us will be more than happy to be moved to the back of that queue and gladly vote to leave.

Denver Thomas Plasturton Avenue, Pontcanna