Corbyn accuses Johnson of offering up UK health service in U.S. talks

 

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attends a general election campaign event in London, Britain November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn offered on Wednesday what he described as evidence that access to Britain’s health service was being discussed in trade talks with the United States, handing reporters hundreds of pages of documents.

 

Johnson has repeatedly denied that Britain’s National Health Service is on the table in such talks, but Corbyn said he had copies of leaked documents from UK-US Trade and Investment working groups that proved otherwise.

 

The NHS, much loved in Britain, has become a key fighting ground before an election on Dec. 12, called to try to break the deadlock in parliament over the country’s departure from the European Union that has muddied traditional political loyalties.

 

Corbyn may also be keen to shift the narrative to the NHS and away from criticism on Tuesday over what Britain’s chief rabbi said was his failure to stem anti-Semitism in his party that had allowed “a new poison” to take root in Labour.

 

Corbyn, who has argued that Johnson’s Conservatives will allow the United States to increase drug prices as part of a post-Brexit trade deal, said he had 451 pages of unredacted documents on talks between the two countries.

 

“Perhaps he (Johnson) would like to explain why these documents confirm the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks,” he told a news conference.

 

“These uncensored documents leave Boris Johnson’s denials in absolute tatters.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-27

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Of course Johnson is preparing to sell off the NHS, both Trump and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James have stated the NHS must be included in any post Brexit UK/US trade deal.

 

“Perhaps he (Johnson) would like to explain why these documents confirm the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks”

 

Johnson will respond as usual, with lies.

 

 

The documents published yesterday on the internet definately show that there are no plans to sell the NHS to US companies.

They do show that US companies can bid to supply drugs just as EU companies already can.

Desperate scaremongering by racist Corbyn.

10 minutes ago, terryw said:

The documents published yesterday on the internet definately show that there are no plans to sell the NHS to US companies.

They do show that US companies can bid to supply drugs just as EU companies already can.

Desperate scaremongering by racist Corbyn.

It’s a little more complicated than that:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/27/what-does-the-trade-dossier-say-about-the-nhs-and-drug-pricing

 

Of course, Corbyn (and Chomper) are assuming that most people will not bother to read 451 pages of documents.  Those who have have already pointed out that there is no comment either way as to whether the UK govt responded specifically to the "sale" of the NHS.

Foreigners, in a trade negotiation, are free to propose anything they wish.  Doesn't mean the Brits have to crumple and say "come on in."

 

Anyway, it is preposterous to imagine that ANY British govt would agree to sell the NHS.  To the Krauts or the Yanks or the Japanese or ANY bleeding body.

 

Those who would clutch at this straw need their heads examining.

Not this old chestnut again! They drag it up before every election. If the treacherous Corbyn and his commie cronies get in everything will be nationalised, not just the NHS.

31 minutes ago, blazes said:

Of course, Corbyn (and Chomper) are assuming that most people will not bother to read 451 pages of documents.  Those who have have already pointed out that there is no comment either way as to whether the UK govt responded specifically to the "sale" of the NHS.

Foreigners, in a trade negotiation, are free to propose anything they wish.  Doesn't mean the Brits have to crumple and say "come on in."

 

Anyway, it is preposterous to imagine that ANY British govt would agree to sell the NHS.  To the Krauts or the Yanks or the Japanese or ANY bleeding body.

 

Those who would clutch at this straw need their heads examining.

You are correct, the ‘foreigners’ are free to propose anything they wish.

 

Trump and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James have both stated the NHS must be on the table in any post Brexit US/UK trade deal.

 

The ability of the UK to say no depends on a number of things, including how desperate they are to get the trade deal.

 

As for ‘no comment either way as to whether the UK govt responded specifically to the "sale" of the NHS.’

 

That’s a thin ‘either way’ to rest the NHS on.

 

I doubt you’ll find any reference to ‘sale of the NHS’ in any document relating to the already privatized portions of the NHS.

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s a little more complicated than that:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/27/what-does-the-trade-dossier-say-about-the-nhs-and-drug-pricing

 

 

From what I've read, the main point of contention is the price of US drugs.

 

A large proportion of all the drugs that the NHS use were developed by US companies. Everyone has heard of the likes of Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson.

 

Drugs are 2.5 times more expensive in the US than the UK on average. The US would like us to buy their expensive brand-name medicines, instead of far cheaper identical generic drugs. They would like us to extend the length of drug patents originating in the US, again making drugs far more expensive.

 

The end result would be a windfall for US drug companies of several billion dollars a year, which the NHS would have to pay for.

 

This would obviously be a very bad thing for the UK and the NHS. However, it is worth noting that these proposed changes were only intended to be the starting point in negotiations with the US. The final deal may well have been rather different.

 

However, the talk of "selling the NHS" is silly, and over-the-top. It is designed to appeal to Labour voters, but I don't think Labour are doing themselves any favours by exaggerating the issue. It would be nice if politicians from both sides would try to present the facts rationally, instead of parroting slogans.

 

I don’t normally comment on the brexit mess but please please please be sure you don’t let this guy wreck your health care system it’s a compleat mess over here and getting worse leagle robbery by big pharma and the insurance company’s please take great care

The Tories have been trying to do away with the NHS bit by bit ever since it was introduced in 1948. The only reason that they're not more blatent about it is because it'd be such a vote loser...

 If they get in again with Boris at the helm they'll probably, finally succeed, with the carrot of a US trade deal after crashing out of the EEC. 

 They'll get completely trashed at the next election of course, but I'd say they're quite capable of fiddling the voting in some way or other to stay in power by then. All assuming they don't do that at this election of course...

12 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Of course Johnson is preparing to sell off the NHS, both Trump and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James have stated the NHS must be included in any post Brexit UK/US trade deal.

 

“Perhaps he (Johnson) would like to explain why these documents confirm the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks”

 

Johnson will respond as usual, with lies.

 

 

these documents have been on the internet for a year,not written by anyone in Govt ,fake news.

16 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

these documents have been on the internet for a year

Wrong.

"The 451-page leak of six documents on UK-US trade talks, publicised by Jeremy Corbyn today, were uploaded to the social media site reddit and shared with journalists on Twitter over a month ago."

 

20 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

not written by anyone in Govt

Wrong.

"Labour obtained uncensored government documents covering six rounds of talks between US and UK officials in Washington and London between July 2017 and July 2019."

 

23 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

fake news

QED Wrong.

13 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Of course Johnson is preparing to sell off the NHS, both Trump and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James have stated the NHS must be included in any post Brexit UK/US trade deal.

 

“Perhaps he (Johnson) would like to explain why these documents confirm the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks”

 

Johnson will respond as usual, with lies.

 

 

 

Another party political post on behalf of the non democratic socialists.

 

Trump also stated, more recently, that it wasn't for the US to tell the British how to run their NHS.

 

This continued lie by Corbyn, an ever increasing lie, is all an effort to divert attention from the realities of his fairy land, and some sinister, policies, and his total failure to condemn the anti-semitism, that he sanctions, within his racist party.

 

All politicians lie - and the hypocritical Corbyn is one of the biggest.

 

if there was a well led opposition party the tories would be toast, as it is they are on course, according to the latest polls, to win a comfortable majority.

 

the recent corbyn interview with andrew neil was... insightful; tetchy and vague would be a polite way of describing corbyn, he's certainly not leadership material

3 hours ago, jesimps said:

Not this old chestnut again! They drag it up before every election. If the treacherous Corbyn and his commie cronies get in everything will be nationalised, not just the NHS.

 

No no. It will be a socialist paradise. A utopia. The new government controlled diets and hard work camps will ensure the population becomes much fitter. Therefore, they'll not need to worry so much about the NHS because Labour will abolish illness. But they can still throw billions of tax payer money at it of course, to fund all the committees, Quangos and jobs for the faithful!

 

And all to be funded by Labours new economical revolutionary idea - borrow your way out of debt!

 

The 70 year old geriatric loony left idiot won't be around to reap the benefits of his "radical" new society.

2 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

if there was a well led opposition party the tories would be toast, as it is they are on course, according to the latest polls, to win a comfortable majority.

 

the recent corbyn interview with andrew neil was... insightful; tetchy and vague would be a polite way of describing corbyn, he's certainly not leadership material

 

Andrew Neil is very good at exposing reality. That tetchy personality often shows when people dare challenge him; especially from within his own party. He's always vague - and changes his view to get more votes whenever.

 

He's never been more than a backbench MP for good reason. Propelled to the leadership by a party rule change which allowed all members to vote for the leader for their small membership fee and saw an influx of militant members.

 

Corbyn was used to being the dissenter, the one taking the opposite view, the one fighting the establishment. Never ever the one leading policy development and delivering on those policies, 

13 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Of course Johnson is preparing to sell off the NHS, both Trump and the US Ambassador to the Court of St James have stated the NHS must be included in any post Brexit UK/US trade deal.

 

“Perhaps he (Johnson) would like to explain why these documents confirm the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks”

 

Johnson will respond as usual, with lies.

 

 

You want to see a liar?

 

Watch Corbyn's interview by Andrew Neil. Turns out many pensioners earning 14,000 a year would pay more tax under Labour, not just "rich people" on over 80k as he had claimed. So would many married people losing their marriage allowance (earning well under 50k).

 

Corbyn was tied in knots and point blank refused to answer the question. You want this lying Champagne Socialist (this "salt of the earth/man of the people" is worth around 3 million pounds) taxing pensioners more and simultaneously bankrupting the UK with his crazy communist ideology? That's before you even mention the terrorist links and antisemitism so rife in his party. Labour and its leader are a joke.

3 hours ago, nkg said:

 

From what I've read, the main point of contention is the price of US drugs.

 

A large proportion of all the drugs that the NHS use were developed by US companies. Everyone has heard of the likes of Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson.

 

Drugs are 2.5 times more expensive in the US than the UK on average. The US would like us to buy their expensive brand-name medicines, instead of far cheaper identical generic drugs. They would like us to extend the length of drug patents originating in the US, again making drugs far more expensive.

 

The end result would be a windfall for US drug companies of several billion dollars a year, which the NHS would have to pay for.

 

This would obviously be a very bad thing for the UK and the NHS. However, it is worth noting that these proposed changes were only intended to be the starting point in negotiations with the US. The final deal may well have been rather different.

 

However, the talk of "selling the NHS" is silly, and over-the-top. It is designed to appeal to Labour voters, but I don't think Labour are doing themselves any favours by exaggerating the issue. It would be nice if politicians from both sides would try to present the facts rationally, instead of parroting slogans.

 

“However, it is worth noting that these proposed changes were only intended to be the starting point in negotiations with the US. The final deal may well have been rather different.”

 

Correct.

 

And we have statements from both the President and the Ambassador that categorically state the NHS must be on the table.

 

Their statement is not something they both simultaneously dreamt up, it is the result of policy being dictated to Trump and his administration by the the US health care industry lobby.

 

The US failed after much effort to get health services included in the TTIP, you’d have to be a special kind of naive to believe the US has given up on getting its hands on the NHS.

 

The UK desperate for a trade deal with the UK is precisely the kind of weakness that Washington will exploit.

30 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No no. It will be a socialist paradise. A utopia. The new government controlled diets and hard work camps will ensure the population becomes much fitter. Therefore, they'll not need to worry so much about the NHS because Labour will abolish illness. But they can still throw billions of tax payer money at it of course, to fund all the committees, Quangos and jobs for the faithful!

 

And all to be funded by Labours new economical revolutionary idea - borrow your way out of debt!

 

The 70 year old geriatric loony left idiot won't be around to reap the benefits of his "radical" new society.

Hyperbole nonsense.

In 451 pages the NHS is only mentioned 4 times.  Fake news

3 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

In 451 pages the NHS is only mentioned 4 times.  Fake news

How many times would it need to be mentioned before it qualified as 'real news'?

Yeah OK we might end up losing the NHS and having to pay a fortune for medicines but.....................

 

BLUE PASSPORTS !!!!!

6 hours ago, terryw said:

The documents published yesterday on the internet definately show that there are no plans to sell the NHS to US companies.

They do show that US companies can bid to supply drugs just as EU companies already can.

Desperate scaremongering by racist Corbyn.

Correct.

One headline prior to the Johnson v Corbyn TV debate reads 'Privately educated millionaire meets privately educated millionaire'. 

14 hours ago, blazes said:

Of course, Corbyn (and Chomper) are assuming that most people will not bother to read 451 pages of documents.  Those who have have already pointed out that there is no comment either way as to whether the UK govt responded specifically to the "sale" of the NHS.

Foreigners, in a trade negotiation, are free to propose anything they wish.  Doesn't mean the Brits have to crumple and say "come on in."

 

Anyway, it is preposterous to imagine that ANY British govt would agree to sell the NHS.  To the Krauts or the Yanks or the Japanese or ANY bleeding body.

 

Those who would clutch at this straw need their heads examining.

And take as gospel any thing written on the side of a bus.

8 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

Yeah OK we might end up losing the NHS and having to pay a fortune for medicines but.....................

 

BLUE PASSPORTS !!!!!

 

You have no ammunition left in your already depleted armoury.....have you?

 

Losing on all fronts.

16 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

if there was a well led opposition party the tories would be toast, as it is they are on course, according to the latest polls, to win a comfortable majority

But there isn’t one - just a bunch of old Marxist Communist Socialists. 

Thats why the Tories are not toast but taking their biscuit. 

15 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Hyperbole nonsense.

Yes, that’s the LAB “buying the NHS” nonsense. 

Who’d want to buy it? It’s a black hole that UK governments throw money into. 

Get real, neither Boris or anybody could “sell” the NHS, and nobody would want it or could afford it. 

If all you lot arguing on here live in Thailand, just bear in mind it will be your drugs you'll be paying more for if Labour win. They have contingency plans in place for a run on the pound, but we've seen that before haven't we.

Will Corbyn campaign for remaining in Brexit. He wouldnt answer that question. 

 

Also, would he hive Scotland another referendum.