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General election: Corbyn says Labour has documents that confirm NHS on table in US trade talks – live news General election: Corbyn says Labour has documents that confirm NHS 'for sale' in US trade talks – live news
(32 minutes later)
Parties try to recover after Labour accused of antisemitism and Boris Johnson criticised for comments on Muslim women Labour leader says he has obtained 451 pages of unredacted documents that reveal the US is demanding NHS services are part of trade negotiations
Q: Was Lord Kerslake right to say, in the event of a hung parliament, your leadership would be on the agenda?
Corbyn says there are no talks with other parties. He is fighting to win it. He is not fighting to form a coalition.
Q: Isn’t it the case that the Americans will always want to put everything on the table?
Corbyn says these documents show that the two sides are starting to exchange treaty text. That suggests an agreement is close, he says.
He says Labour would not accept investor protection provisions.
Gardiner says Labour would not accept ISDS (investor state dispute settlement) provisions, or ICS (investment court system) provisions, a more modern alternative.
He also says Labour would not accept a negative list procedure. This is an arrangement that would mean everything would be open to competition, unless otherwise specified. He says this system does not protect countries from competition in the event of new services coming into existence.
Gardiner says other countries are adopting this approach to trade deals too.
Q: Was yesterday the worst day of our campaign so far?
Corbyn says he loves campaigning. Yesterday was another day when he went out to listen to people. He is horrified by what people tell him about inequality.
Jeremy Corbyn is now taking questions.
Q: [From Sky] Are you saying any trade deal with the US will be impossible without putting the NHS on the table?
Q: [From ITV] Why would any British government do a deal that would make drugs more expensive in the UK? And do you accept President Trump’s claim the NHS will not be on the table?
Barry Gardiner, the shadow trade minister, answers on trade.
He says there are four ways in which a trade deal can impact on the NHS: through the dispute settlement system; through what gets included; through changes to the patent regime; and through changes to the data regime.
Q: [From the BBC] Do you have any evidence that ministers, as opposed to officials, agreed to the NHS being on the table in the talks?
Corbyn says ministers sanctioned these talks, they were aware of the talks, and they declined to publish this information.
Gardiner says George Hollingbery, a trade minister, was involved.
Q: [From Sky] You did not apologise last night over antisemitism in the Labour party. Is that because you think you have not done anything wrong?
Q: [From ITV] You say you are on the side of people. Does that include Jewish people?
Q: [From the BBC] Do you accept the need to apologise to the Jewish community?
Corbyn says antisemitism affects a tiny proportion of the party membership. But one is one too many.
He says he accepts what the chief rabbi said yesterday.
But there are many others in the Jewish community who do support Labour, he says.
He says he is committed to getting rid of the scourge of racism in our society.
He says the government he will lead would be the most anti-racist you have ever seen.
At the news conference copies of the documents are now being handed out to journalists.
Corbyn says it is now up to Boris Johnson to justify his decision to dismiss the Labour claim that the NHS would be on the table as an “invention”.
Labour will not let this rest, he says.
Corbyn raises some specific points from the UK-US trade talks.
He says page 43 shows how the Americans offered to give the British their lines to use to defend chlorinated chicken.
And he says page 17 shows how the Americans refused to allow a mention of climate change in the deal.
Jeremy Corbyn is speaking now.Jeremy Corbyn is speaking now.
He says, although only redacted documents of the talks between UK and US officials were released in response to a Freedom of Information request, Labour has now obtained 451 pages of documents about what was discussed. He says, although only redacted documents of the talks between UK and US officials were released in response to a freedom of information request, Labour has now obtained 451 pages of documents about what was discussed.
A Channel 4 Dispatches investigation first revealed these talks.A Channel 4 Dispatches investigation first revealed these talks.
Corbyn brandishes the new documents. He says they leave “Boris Johnson’s denials in absolute tatters”.Corbyn brandishes the new documents. He says they leave “Boris Johnson’s denials in absolute tatters”.
He says these papers show that “the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale” in a UK-US trade deal.He says these papers show that “the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale” in a UK-US trade deal.
There have been six rounds of talks, he says. But he says effectively it is all one negotiation.There have been six rounds of talks, he says. But he says effectively it is all one negotiation.
At the event Labour has just shown a short film featuring Jeremy Corbyn challenging Boris Johnson in the ITV debate last week over private meetings between UK and US officials about including health in a trade deal.At the event Labour has just shown a short film featuring Jeremy Corbyn challenging Boris Johnson in the ITV debate last week over private meetings between UK and US officials about including health in a trade deal.
Jeremy Corbyn is about to give a speech on the NHS at Westminster. There will be a live feed at the top of the blog soon.Jeremy Corbyn is about to give a speech on the NHS at Westminster. There will be a live feed at the top of the blog soon.
Labour has not briefed any of it in advance, and so we don’t know what Corbyn is planning to say.Labour has not briefed any of it in advance, and so we don’t know what Corbyn is planning to say.
Adam Price had more to say about growing up gay in Wales in this BBC Breakfast interview.Adam Price had more to say about growing up gay in Wales in this BBC Breakfast interview.
Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru leader, has urged Boris Johnson to apologise for referring to gay men as “bum boys” in newspaper column in the past. Price has been taking part in a BBC phone-in on BBC News and Radio 5 Live, and he was asked who he would rather have a pint with, Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn. Price, who is gay, replied:Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru leader, has urged Boris Johnson to apologise for referring to gay men as “bum boys” in newspaper column in the past. Price has been taking part in a BBC phone-in on BBC News and Radio 5 Live, and he was asked who he would rather have a pint with, Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn. Price, who is gay, replied:
Johnson was specifically asked about his use of the term “bum boys” in a newspaper column on Question Time on Friday night. Fiona Bruce put it to him that this was one of several examples of his having used racist or homophobic language. Johnson refused to apologise.Johnson was specifically asked about his use of the term “bum boys” in a newspaper column on Question Time on Friday night. Fiona Bruce put it to him that this was one of several examples of his having used racist or homophobic language. Johnson refused to apologise.
Price said that he thought politicians should be willing to apologise, and he said Jeremy Corbyn should also have apologised in his Andrew Neil interview last night for his handling of the antisemitism issue. Price said:Price said that he thought politicians should be willing to apologise, and he said Jeremy Corbyn should also have apologised in his Andrew Neil interview last night for his handling of the antisemitism issue. Price said:
Johnson used the term “bum boys” in a 1998 column about the resignation of Peter Mandelson.Johnson used the term “bum boys” in a 1998 column about the resignation of Peter Mandelson.
In his Today interview Robert Jenrick was also asked about this specific complaint about Islamophobia in the Conservative party. A deputy chair of Stourbridge Conservative association resigned in protest at the attitude taken by fellow Tories when interviewing a Muslim who wanted to stand as a council candidate.In his Today interview Robert Jenrick was also asked about this specific complaint about Islamophobia in the Conservative party. A deputy chair of Stourbridge Conservative association resigned in protest at the attitude taken by fellow Tories when interviewing a Muslim who wanted to stand as a council candidate.
In response to a question about this incident, Jenrick said:In response to a question about this incident, Jenrick said:
Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, told the Today programme this morning that the findings of the inquiry into racism in the Conservative party will be published. He said:
The Conservatives have said they will launch the inquiry before Christmas. But they don’t seem very keen on launching it before polling day – perhaps because they are worried that the terms of reference will provoke complaints, either from party members who feel they go too far, or from non-members who feel they do not go far enough.
Kirsty Blackman, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, has suggested that a change of Labour leader could be one of the demands made by her party in exchange for post-election support for a minority government, as Jewish leaders in Scotland warned Nicola Sturgeon against making any post-election pact with Jeremy Corbyn.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Blackman was asked if the SNP would demand a change of leader if it were to work with Labour, having been so critical of the party’s handling of antisemitism charges. She replied:
Asked about the chief rabbi’s comments yesterday, she said:
Asked if she it was appropriate to support a leader who has acted that way, she said that the choice for English voters was “between the devil and the deep blue sea”.
Pressed on how Scotland could “escape Brexit” by voting SNP, Blackman also resurrected the idea of an “all-nations lock” on a second EU referendum, proposed by Labour, meaning that if Scotland voted to remain as it did in 2016 this would act as a veto on Brexit.
This morning, Paul Edlin, president of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, warned Nicola Sturgeon would be doing “a deal with the devil” if she were to help Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Damien Gayle.
In his Today interview earlier (see 7.43am) Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, was also asked about Labour’s plan to spend £58bn compensation the Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women - the women who have lost out from increases in the state pension age, which was not well advertised when it was decided in the 1990s. He defended the decision, saying these women were effectively the victims of “theft”. He said:
About 660,000 people registered to vote yesterday, the deadline for the 12 December election, of whom almost 460,000 were under 35, according to official statistics.
The numbers of last-minute registrations were even higher than in 2017, when 622,000 people registered to vote on 22 May, of which about 450,000 were under 35.
Those numbers were cited at the time as partly responsible for the “youthquake” that gave Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party its highest share of the vote and first gain in seats since the 2001 election. Younger voters skew heavily towards Labour.
As much as the party leaders want to pull the agenda away from allegations of prejudice, the news cycle is not allowing them.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, was challenged over Nia Griffiths’ call last night for a fresh apology to the Jewish community over the allegations of antisemitism within Labour. (See 6.50am.)
He was asked should Jeremy Corbyn also have apologised when challenged over the issue by Andrew Neil during a BBC interview last night? Burgon said he already had.
A Labour government, Burgon pointed out, would make antisemitism awareness a part of the curriculum for schools.
Burgon was previously forced to apologise after calling zionism, the political ideology that calls for a Jewish state in the Middle East, an “enemy of peace”.
Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, joined the ranks of Labour MPs calling for more action within the party for addressing antisemitism.
Speaking during a BBC Wales Live debate last night, she said:
How the papers covered it
Our full wrap of the newspapers’ front pages is here.
Jeremy Corbyn will make a statement on NHS in London at 10am, before heading to Falmouth to speak at a climate change rally tonight.
Johnson will be in the south-west talking about boosting phone signal in rural areas.
The SNP will launch its manifesto in Glasgow at 11am.
Nigel Farage will be in Doncaster. Chuka Umunna, Sam Gyimah and Michael Heseltine will be giving a press conference in London.
Good morning, politics-watchers. I hope you’ve all had better sleeps than the one I imagine Jeremy Corbyn had last night after a bruising day for the Labour leader.
The antisemitism accusations – which came on the day Labour was seeking to brand itself as the party of equality and compassion through the launch of its race and faith manifesto – dogged the party all day, and look as if they will be difficult to shake, after Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with Andrew Neil last night in which he repeatedly resisted calls to apologise to the Jewish community. The Guardian’s religion correspondent, Harriet Sherwood, spoke to Jewish community leaders and heard that while plenty of Jews in the UK would say the chief rabbi does not speak for them, many, probably most, agree with the thrust of his unprecedented intervention in the election campaign.
After a difficult day, the Labour leader will be aiming to steer the conversation back to safer ground, by making a “major statement” on the NHS in Westminster in the morning and then heading to Falmouth where he will address a climate change rally.
Boris Johnson will also be hoping to move away from talk of faith, after comments by the prime minister likening Muslim women who wear veils to “letterboxes” or “bank robbers” resurfaced. The chancellor, Sajid Javid, was asked about the comments yesterday and refused to condemn them. Johnson later dismissed criticism by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). The MCB has also released a report urging parties to tackle racism and Islamophobia to win the support of Muslim voters, which particularly singled out the Conservatives and “sections of the media” for “growing Islamophobia”.
The prime minister will be in the south-west today, setting out plans for new phone masts and shared infrastructure to strengthen phone signals in rural areas. Again, will this be enough to make voters forget about Johnson’s comments? We’ll see.
Thanks for reading along with us today, I’ll be at the helm of the blog for the first hour, you can get in touch with me on Twitter or via email (kate.lyons@theguardian.com).