TTIP in 2015: Building the Fightback

January: European people reject 'corporate courts'

2015 started with a bang as the European Commission's (EC) consultation on the controversial 'corporate court', investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), system received a record-breaking response. From 150,000 replies, 97% rejected ISDS and its big business bias. Coming only weeks after the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) petition against TTIP reached 1 million signatures, it was a clear sign of a growing people power movement.

February: All aboard for Brussels!

In February it was 'all aboard for Brussels!' as UK TTIP activists descended on Belgium to lobby Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), meet with European allies and protest negotiators as they entered secret TTIP talks. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström failed to see the funny side when we presented her with some giant ears to remind her to listen to the people of Europe.

March: Building the Fightback

March was one of the busiest months yet in TTIP campaigning, packed with big events, government reports and a welcome celebrity foray into TTIP. War on Want held its annual conference with the title TTIP: Building the Fightback, where among a series of exciting events and talks we were proud to host the launch of Students Against TTIP. Later in the month, Executive Director John Hilary spoke at the launch of This Changes Everything - the new book by War on Want patron, Naomi Klein - to highlight how the fight against climate change and TTIP are part of the same battle.

The Environmental Audit Committee and Business, Innovation and Skills committees both issued reports on TTIP; both had stern warnings for the threat TTIP poses and the way the government frames the debate. Meanwhile, TV chef Jamie Oliver met with Vince Cable to voice his concerns for the future of food safety in TTIP.

April: Days of action

April was a mix of the good and the bad: while there were vibrant days of action on global trade deals and the launch of Scotland Against TTIP, we were reminded of the perils of ISDS as Argentina was hit with a $405 million payout demand for capping the price of water, in line with human rights, during a financial crisis.

May: General election

For the UK general election, we drew up a handy guide on where all the UK parties stood on TTIP. In Brussels, only five months after hearing a resounding no to ISDS in TTIP, EC Trade Commissioner ignored the people of Europe's wish to scrap ISDS in favour of launching a cosmetic 'reform' proposal.

June: UN Independent Experts and 2 million people condemn new trade deals

The European petition against TTIP continued to soar as it hit an amazing 2 million signatures, while a statement from an unprecedented 10 UN Independent Experts condemned the grave threat to human rights from new generation trade deals like TTIP. Meanwhile, there were farcical scenes in the EU as a vote on a pro-TTIP resolution was cancelled at the last minute – we were there to chronicle what happened. At the end of the month we hit the road to take our No TTIP message to our stall at the Glastonbury music festival

July: Artists Against TTIP

The peak of summer brought excitement with the launch of Artists Against TTIP. A platform of well known figures from across the arts world - including the likes of actors Mark Rylance, Ruth Wilson and Juliet Stevenson, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and many more – Artists Against TTIP launched with an event at the Young Vic Theatre and a video in the Guardian to bring some much needed celebrity flair and attention to TTIP. Look out for some exciting initiatives in 2016!

August: Public services under threat

Carrie Cracknell of Artists Against TTIP joined with War on Want to produce this video to explain exactly how our public services, including the NHS, are up for grabs in TTIP and similar trade deals.

September: Lush joins the fight against TTIP

We teamed up with cosmetics business Lush to launch the TTIP “showder” (shower powder) to help everyone “T-TIP that dirty deal down the plughole”. With a box designed by Vivienne Westwood, proceeds from sales provided much needed support to groups campaigning against TTIP in Europe.

October: A month of rallies and successes

TTIP took centre stage in the UK and Europe with a series of rallies. As part of the People's Assembly Against Austerity week of events in Manchester, we held a debate focused on what TTIP means for our future relationship with the EU. War on Want patron Owen Jones joined speakers including Executive Director John Hilary and John Rees of People's Assembly.

A week later, we joined allies to hold a packed rally in London where Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP spoke alongside Leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett, Game of Thrones actor Tobias Menzies and many others to highlight the threat of TTIP and how we can defeat it. Meanwhile, the eyes of the world's media were drawn to Germany as an astonishing 250,000 people took to the streets of Berlin to protest TTIP.

Back in London, we inflated the TTIP Trojan Horse and handed in the European Citizens' Initiative petition against TTIP to the European Commisssion's offices in London – with an amazing 3.2 million signatures, 500,000 from the UK. We also joined international NGO and trade union allies to publish this report on the threat to public services from trade deals like TTIP and the EU-Canada deal, CETA.

November: ISDS 'reform' slammed, Death on a Plate video

The cosmetic 'reform' proposal for ISDS was slammed by critics. UN Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas pulled no punches, explaining that: “ ISDS cannot be reformed. It must be abolished. ” We teamed up with Unison to produce a video, “Death on a Plate”, highlighting the threat to our food safety from TTIP and deregulation.

December: Trading away the climate

Politicians and activists descended on Paris in December for the UN's annual 'COP' climate change talks. We wrote in the Guardian about the threat of tar sands oil entering Europe under TTIP , commented in the same newspaper on an exclusive story about the EC granting Exxon Mobil special access to TTIP's energy chapter , and revealed in the Independent how the EU's leaked negotiating position for UN climate talks prioritised corporate-led trade over any ambition to cut emissions. Back in the UK, MPs came together for a debate on TTIP.