‘The NHS is not for sale’: Health Secretary hits back after US Ambassador says healthcare should be on the table in any transatlantic post-Brexit trade talks
- US Ambassador said healthcare should be on the table in post-Brexit trade talks
- Woody Johnson told Andrew Marr the ‘entire economy’ would have to be part of any trans-Atlantic free trade agreement
- But the health secretary and his Labour shadow said the NHS is ‘not for sale’
Claims by the US ambassador that America would want access to the NHS as part of any post-Brexit trade deal prompted a huge backlash last night.
MPs on both sides of the political spectrum criticised Woody Johnson after he said the ‘entire economy’ would have to be part of any trans-Atlantic free trade agreement.
Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show if this included healthcare, he said: ‘I would think so.’
Last night Tory leadership contenders joined with Labour in telling the Americans that ‘the NHS is not for sale’.
Woody Johnson the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom appeared on The Andrew Marr Show today and said the ‘whole economy’ would be included in trade talks
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said: ‘My American friends, know this. The NHS is not for sale. Yes we’d love to make it cheaper to buy your life-saving pharmaceuticals – but the NHS will not be on the table in any future trade talks.’
And Labour health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said: ‘The ambassador’s comments are terrifying, and show that a real consequence of a No Deal Brexit, followed by a trade deal with Trump, will be our NHS up for sale.
‘This absolutely should not be on the table. Nigel Farage and the Tories want to rip apart our publicly funded NHS. Labour will always defend it.’
Mr Johnson said the US was already looking at all the elements of a trade deal ‘to get everything lined up so when the time comes’.
‘We’re going to have a great relationship with your country whatever happens,’ he added.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) and shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth (right) both hit back at the remarks
Asked whether healthcare has to be part of the deal, he replied: ‘I think probably the entire economy, in a trade deal all things that are traded will be on the table.’
Pressed on whether this includes healthcare, he replied: ‘I would think so.’
Mr Johnson added: ‘Your national healthcare service is the pride of the country. It’s a highly emotionally charged issue.’
Lib Dem leadership candidate Ed Davey said: ‘The US ambassador today let the cat out of the bag. Our NHS is indeed up for sale under the Conservatives.’
In an interview with the Sunday Times, President Trump said he would be keen to offer the next PM a trade deal if they head for a No Deal Brexit.
‘We have the potential to be an incredible trade partner with the UK,’ he said. ‘The numbers they can do will be tremendous. We’re doing relatively little compared to what we could. I think much bigger than European Union.’
When asked if he thought a trade deal could be concluded within a year, Mr Trump said: ‘We could work on it much faster, we could work on it very, very quickly. ‘
Chlorine chicken alert: health and safety issues in US poultry farms
Serious health and safety issues have been revealed in American chicken plants that want to send meat to Britain following Brexit.
Mr Trump’s administration insists that Britain would be expected to open its shops to American food, including ‘chlorinated chicken’, as part of a free trade deal.
The US government, farmers and processors insist their chicken is perfectly safe. However, an undercover investigation at a US processing plant operated by America’s biggest poultry producer, Tyson Foods, has revealed a series of hygiene issues.
Chicken will be a major talking point in UK-US trade negotiations
Concerns have focused on whether the industry operates to the same environmental standards as in Britain. One key issue has been the use of various washes, some containing chlorine, to disinfect slaughtered chicken.
The investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, to be shown tonight, found piles of chicken on conveyor belts for long periods of time, or stacked in a way that could lead to cross contamination; chicken innards on the floor; blocked drains; and supervisors touching raw chicken with their hands.
Ron Spellman, of the European Food and Meat Inspectors Association, said he was surprised at the findings. ‘It would appear that the EU are right – the US are working to much lower standards than we’ve got.’
When asked if he thought these were acceptable, he said: ‘Definitely not.
Tyson Foods said: ‘We’re producing good food that’s safe to eat. We have a robust quality and safety programme.’
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