Jeremy Corbyn pledges to veto TTIP if he becomes PM, calling it ‘irreversible’ privatization

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn promises to veto the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal between the EU and US owing to concerns over “irreversible” privatization and “watered down consumer rights.”

Corbyn has joined French president François Hollande and a range of European politicians and campaigners in opposing TTIP in its current form.

The Labour leader promised to oppose the deal while in shadow government and to ax the deal if elected prime minister.

“Thousands of people have written to me with concerns, deep concerns, about the TTIP, the deal being negotiated largely in secret between the US and EU officials. Many are concerned, quite rightly, that it could open public services to further privatization and make privatization effectively irreversible,” he said at a press conference.

“Others are concerned about potential watering down of consumer rights, food safety standards, rights at work or environmental protections.”

Corbyn pledged to reject TTIP and veto the controversial deal in government.

His announcement follows an explosive leak of TTIP documents which showed how climate protection, jobs, food safety and online privacy rights will be whittled away under the agreement.

Greenpeace Netherlands published the documents last month.

Executive Director of UK social justice campaign War on Want John Hilary said the leak shows TTIP “is even worse than we feared.”

“Today’s leak shows the European Commission preparing to sell us down the river, doing deals behind closed doors that will change the face of European society forever,” he added.