TTIP: Press release for local papers

You could spread the word about TTIP – the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership – even further by telling your local papers and radio stations about the deal. Just look on the websites for your local press for an email address to write to.

Here’s a template press release that you can adapt, with more information about what happened on Saturday’s day of action. Just copy the text below, and change the parts that are bolded to make it relevant to your area, and what you’ve been doing in the campaign against TTIP.

Embargo: for immediate release
Contact: <add your name and phone number here>

<AREA> people take to the streets against ‘dangerous deal’ with the US
Locals launch campaign to protect the NHS from secretive trade pact

Scores of people gathered this Saturday at <LOCATION> to spread the word about a dangerous international trade deal which they say could put the NHS at risk.

The campaigners – members of campaign group 38 Degrees – met to <add brief details of what you did, for example leafleting, talking to passers by or something else>.

They joined almost 10,000 people across the country who took part in the national day of action.

The agreement – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – would force NHS trusts across the country to open themselves up to competition from American private healthcare providers.

The pact also includes provisions to allow multinational businesses to sue the government if British laws dent their profits. Critics say this would expose the government to lawsuits if it tried to take privatised health services back into public ownership.

More than 125,000 people have signed a 38 Degrees petition against the deal.

This week, a YouGov poll commissioned by 38 Degrees found that 42% of people say that they don’t trust the government to protect the NHS.

And 39% of those surveyed by YouGov said the treaty would be bad for the UK – three times as many as those who say it would be good for the country (13%).

<NAME>, who joined the day of action at <LOCATION>, said: “<Include here a short comment – you could start with explaining why you joined the day of action and what happened on the day>”.

Blanche Jones, campaign director at 38 Degrees, said: “It’s no surprise that thousands of people are taking to the streets about this terrible deal. Our NHS is being used as a bargaining chip in a decision made behind closed doors.

“By talking to others about the deal, 38 Degrees members will be forcing this issue out of backroom negotiations and into the spotlight.

“Now politicians of all parties need to explain exactly what they’re doing to get it fixed or scrapped.”

Notes to editors

1. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,021 adults. Sample size in the region was 139. Fieldwork was undertaken between 25-26 August 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults.

2. With 2.8 million members, 38 Degrees is one of the UK’s biggest campaigning organisations. 38 Degrees brings you together with other people to take action on the issues that matter to you and bring about real change in the UK.