Members of Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public and Manchester Global Justice Now protested the UK-US trade deal, in person but socially distanced, from 11-12noon, on Saturday 24th October, outside the Hathersage Rd entrance to MRI.
Show your support online for the MANCHESTER action this SATURDAY 24th OCTOBER..
message your support to the KONP Greater Manchester Facebook livestream, Global Justice Now or share photos of our protest 11 am this Saturday
Major trade deals are now being negotiated, behind closed doors, which could reshape our society into a corporate marketplace. And that includes our NHS.
The government has said ‘the NHS is not for sale’ but the risk isn’t that the whole NHS could be sold off.
We know that “outsourcing” of health services ie privatisation, has become more and more widespread over the last 14 years – over the life of the Conservative Party governments. Now their “emergency” measures to combat the Covid 19 epidemic have included handing over even more, major, public health service contracts to their friends’ companies (i.e. Tory Party donors), with no parliamentary or public scrutiny and no penalties on the firms for mismanagement. (Like the proven incompetent and fraudulent company Serco, which has profited big-time, from mismanaging many Track and Trace contracts in England).
Under the current UK-US trade negotiations private, corporate giants will be invited to run more health services, as part of NHS. And the trade deals will give those companies the reassurance:
* that NHS services, once privatised, would be prevented from being returned to the public sector (even if the British Parliament passes laws to bring those services back into the public sector). Private firms would take their “cases” to a corporate court, where they could sue the government for restricting their profit-making or access to trade.
* that they would be able to operate in a mildly regulated health care sector. That’s what they mean by “abolishing red tape and bureaucracy”. (We’ve already seen the horrific results of abolishing building regulations in the Grenfell Tower fire, in 2017).
* that NHS moves to use cheaper, generic medicines would be challenged under market access rules.
The Government is desperate to hide the details of the trade deals from us, the public and from MPs and parliamentary scrutiny. They say “Just trust us!” But why on earth should we?
We can’t let this happen. Stand Up for the NHS from your sofa
This weekend, up and down the country, people will be taking a stand against a toxic US-UK trade deal.
We would like you to join our protest from your home (or safe outside activity) – on line.
On Saturday morning, please send messages of support to the protest (e.g. NHS Not for Sale in Toxic Trade Deals or Stop the corporate-led US-UK trade deal) to Greater Manchester KONP Facebook page; or email Keep Our NHS Public konpmcr@hotmail.com
On Saturday afternoon, 5.30pm-7pm you could join the national on-line Rally: Stop the US trade deal Register here to join the rally online via a zoom link. https://act.globaljustice.org.uk/rally-stop-us-trade-deal
Then over the weekend, we will circulate a photo or video of the Greater Manchester protest and a list of all supportiveg comments from you. Please forward this to your own MP and local councillors and any community organisations you are a member of.
We will help create a picture of the national day of protest with Global Justice Now onhttps://dropevent.com/stopUStradedeal You could upload any of your own photos of protest here, too.
For more information on this campaign, please check out Global Justice Now https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/usdeal
And any questions about your part in the Greater Manchester protest, please email
konpmcr@hotmail.com
Day of action against the US trade deal
Saturday 24 October
Take action against the US trade deal to protect services, standards, rights and democracy!
Supported by Global Justice Now, Keep Our NHS Public, War on Want, Traidcraft, We Own It, Open Rights Group, SumOfUs, Compassion in World Farming, Another Europe is Possible and the Stop Trump Coalition.
Plan for the day
We’re taking a stand together on Saturday 24 October against the high risk US trade deal which could reshape our society into a corporate marketplace. People all across the country are taking action, and we will come together at the end of the day in an online rally.
If you do ONE thing for the day of action, send a photo message:
- Take a photo of yourself holding a message saying ‘Stop the US trade deal’ – the message could be a simple piece of paper (you could use this A4 poster), or carved on a pumpkin lantern, or another creative message
- Upload the photo to https://dropevent.com/stopUStradedeal – click on the pink ‘Add photos’ button and follow the instructions. We will share photos from around the country at the online rally and then send them all to Boris Johnson
- If you are on Twitter, tweet the photo using the hashtag #StoptheUSTradeDeal. Tag the trade minister, Liz Truss, @trussliz and your own MP, so they know you are opposed to the deal.
If you have time to do more, have a look at our action ideas – and if you’re in London, we’re holding a socially distanced protest in Parliament Square.
We know of events happening in Ayrshire, Bexhill and Hastings, Bournemouth, Bradford, Cambridge, Cleveland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Macclesfield, Manchester, Merseyside, Nottingham, Oswestry, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading and York. To find out more or let us know of other events, contact activism@globaljustice.org.uk .
Online rally
Join us to wrap up the day of action with an online rally at 5.30pm. We have a brilliant line up of speakers:
- George Monbiot, writer
- Sian Berry, co-leader Green Party (England and Wales)
- Dr Phil Hammond, NHS doctor, Private Eye writer and comedian
- Sharon Treat, senior attorney, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, US
- Glyn Moody, tech writer
- Dr Sonia Adesara, NHS doctor and activist
- Dave Prentis, general secretary, UNISON.
The rally is at 5.30pm on Saturday 24 October – register to get the link to join. See you there!
Keep our NHS public Greater Manchester 