Birmingham city councillors have raised fears their ability to award £1 billion worth of contracts and business could be hit if a new US-Europe trade deal is signed.

The city council has joined other local authorities from across the UK and Europe in calling on government and EU leaders to come clean over the new Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP) deal currently being negotiated.

The deal has been widely criticised as the negotiations are taking place in secret and even MPs have been unable to scrutinise its details.

Of particular concern to councillors are new measures, under the Investor State Dispute Settlement, which could allow companies to sue governments if they fail to secure profits from public sector contracts.

Coun Martin Straker-Welds (Lab Moseley and Kings Heath) welcomed the backing of the full council for his motion on TTIP.

He said TTIP could remove the ability for councils to act in the best interests of the communities they represent, as corporations' right to profits are elevated above the democratic rights of the people.

He said: "National and local government can't abdicate their duty to protect the public, to safeguard their democratic interests and to support their local business community.

"Birmingham's purchasing power is in the order of £1 billion and our commitment to public service should not be subject to private profit."

He added he was also concerned the drive to harmonise standards between the US and EU will mean the lowering of UK standards to the far inferior conditions of the US.

Former council leader Sir Albert Bore said councillors did not need to worried as the deal had to be ratified by all EU member states and the European Parliament and "whatever excesses come through the negotiations are removed".

The council voted to write to the Government, MPs and MEPs expressing concerns over TTIP and the secret negotiation process and join other local authorities in calling on the Local Government Association to raise the issue with the Government.