Trade deal threat to governments

KRISTY Dorsey is right to point to concerns over the EU-US trade deal, not least the plan to allow foreign investors to sue governments over decisions they believe might harm their profits (“Public kept in the dark over trade deal that affects us all”, 13 July).

Multinational companies are already suing governments under similar agreements elsewhere in the world. Australia is being sued for introducing plain packaging on cigarettes, and Uruguay is being sued 
for simply printing health warnings on cigarette packets. Egypt has been sued for introducing a minimum wage.

Regardless of the result of the independence referendum, this deal would hamper the ability of our government to act in the public interest without fear of being hit for billions of pounds. It should be rejected.

Jane Herbstritt, World Development Movement Scotland, Edinburgh