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| General election 2019: Row over Labour's 'NHS for sale' claim | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A row has broken out after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed he had "proof" the NHS was at risk under a post-Brexit trade deal with the US. | A row has broken out after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed he had "proof" the NHS was at risk under a post-Brexit trade deal with the US. |
| Mr Corbyn said he had a 451-page dossier showing initial talks had taken place, proving the NHS was "for sale". | Mr Corbyn said he had a 451-page dossier showing initial talks had taken place, proving the NHS was "for sale". |
| But Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the claims were "nonsense" and the NHS would not be part of trade talks. | |
| The Tory manifesto explicitly states neither the price paid for drugs nor NHS services will be "on the table". | The Tory manifesto explicitly states neither the price paid for drugs nor NHS services will be "on the table". |
| Meanwhile the SNP has published its manifesto which includes a pledge to "stop the NHS becoming a lever in any international trade deal" through its NHS Protection Act. | Meanwhile the SNP has published its manifesto which includes a pledge to "stop the NHS becoming a lever in any international trade deal" through its NHS Protection Act. |
| And other parties have criticised the Tories, including Liberal Democrat shadow Brexit secretary Tom Brake, who said the public would be "horrified by what looks like a deal cooked up between the Tories and Donald Trump that puts our NHS on the table". | |
| Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said the Conservative Party "can no longer claim the NHS is not for sale", adding: "Under their watch, it is." | |
| What evidence has Labour obtained? | What evidence has Labour obtained? |
| 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. | 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. |
| They are all preparatory meetings ahead of formal trade talks. | They are all preparatory meetings ahead of formal trade talks. |
| These documents provide more detail on the meetings Channel 4's Dispatches programme reported on last month. | These documents provide more detail on the meetings Channel 4's Dispatches programme reported on last month. |
| They show the US is interested in discussing drug pricing - mainly, extending patents that stop cheaper generic medicines being used. | They show the US is interested in discussing drug pricing - mainly, extending patents that stop cheaper generic medicines being used. |
| One document quotes a UK official saying the talks are helpful in determining the areas the US may want to discuss, while acknowledging the UK would have objections. | One document quotes a UK official saying the talks are helpful in determining the areas the US may want to discuss, while acknowledging the UK would have objections. |
| As well as the pharmaceutical industry, the talks also covered other areas including agriculture and climate change. The UK team inquired about including a reference to climate change in any US-UK trade deal, something the US side says is not allowed by Congress. | |
| The document also refers to the US policy of making "total market access" a starting point in any trade talks - but says it is up to other countries to specify anything they want to be excluded from talks. | |
| There is no indication in the documents that the UK team agreed to anything in the talks. | |
| Is this proof the NHS is up for sale? | Is this proof the NHS is up for sale? |
| Jeremy Corbyn doesn't provide evidence ministers have agreed the health service should be part of a trade deal with US. | Jeremy Corbyn doesn't provide evidence ministers have agreed the health service should be part of a trade deal with US. |
| But details of discussions about the demands of US pharmaceutical companies will still be motivating for Labour voters worried about the NHS. | But details of discussions about the demands of US pharmaceutical companies will still be motivating for Labour voters worried about the NHS. |
| "Not for sale," has been the biggest mantra at Labour events, even though the Tories have always furiously denied the NHS is in any way "up for sale". | "Not for sale," has been the biggest mantra at Labour events, even though the Tories have always furiously denied the NHS is in any way "up for sale". |
| It's clear US drug companies want access to UK markets - Labour suggests the UK has agreed they could extend the patents on some medicines, which could cost the NHS more, for example. | It's clear US drug companies want access to UK markets - Labour suggests the UK has agreed they could extend the patents on some medicines, which could cost the NHS more, for example. |
| But whether any UK government would ever do a deal that made medicines much more expensive for the NHS, and therefore the taxpayer, which would be massively costly for the government and probably prove deeply unpopular, is a big political question. | But whether any UK government would ever do a deal that made medicines much more expensive for the NHS, and therefore the taxpayer, which would be massively costly for the government and probably prove deeply unpopular, is a big political question. |
| The Conservative manifesto says the NHS will not be on the table in post-Brexit trade talks. | The Conservative manifesto says the NHS will not be on the table in post-Brexit trade talks. |
| The NHS for sale - explained | The NHS for sale - explained |
| The claim the NHS would form part of a free-trade deal with the US under the Tories has been one of the Labour's key attack lines in the general election campaign. | The claim the NHS would form part of a free-trade deal with the US under the Tories has been one of the Labour's key attack lines in the general election campaign. |
| Labour has warned it could mean rising drug prices and NHS services being contracted out to US health companies. | Labour has warned it could mean rising drug prices and NHS services being contracted out to US health companies. |
| Currently, the NHS is able to use its bargaining power as a centralised health system to negotiate low prices for drugs. | Currently, the NHS is able to use its bargaining power as a centralised health system to negotiate low prices for drugs. |
| It also has a strong track record in resisting attempts to lengthen patents on drugs, to allow cheaper generics to be used more quickly than they are in the US. | It also has a strong track record in resisting attempts to lengthen patents on drugs, to allow cheaper generics to be used more quickly than they are in the US. |
| The US currently pays two and a half times more for drugs than the NHS does. | The US currently pays two and a half times more for drugs than the NHS does. |
| Meanwhile, about 7% of the NHS budget in England goes on private companies that provide NHS services, mainly non-emergency treatments such as knee and hip replacements and some community services. | Meanwhile, about 7% of the NHS budget in England goes on private companies that provide NHS services, mainly non-emergency treatments such as knee and hip replacements and some community services. |
| And Labour has warned this market could be extended further under the Tories. | And Labour has warned this market could be extended further under the Tories. |
| The war of words | The war of words |
| Mr Corbyn said the documents showed talks were at a "very advanced stage" and gave the lie to Boris Johnson's claims the NHS would not be part of any trade talks. | Mr Corbyn said the documents showed talks were at a "very advanced stage" and gave the lie to Boris Johnson's claims the NHS would not be part of any trade talks. |
| "The uncensored documents leave Boris Johnson's denials in absolute tatters," he told a news conference in London. | "The uncensored documents leave Boris Johnson's denials in absolute tatters," he told a news conference in London. |
| "We have now got evidence that under Boris Johnson the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale. | "We have now got evidence that under Boris Johnson the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale. |
| "He tried to cover it up in a secret agenda and today it has been exposed." | "He tried to cover it up in a secret agenda and today it has been exposed." |
| Reacting to Mr Corbyn's latest claims, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was simply a stunt. | Reacting to Mr Corbyn's latest claims, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was simply a stunt. |
| "Jeremy Corbyn is getting desperate and is out and out lying about what the documents contain. | "Jeremy Corbyn is getting desperate and is out and out lying about what the documents contain. |
| "People should not believe what he says." | "People should not believe what he says." |
| Mr Johnson, meanwhile, said the claims were "total nonsense". | Mr Johnson, meanwhile, said the claims were "total nonsense". |
| "This is continually brought up by the Labour Party as a diversionary tactic from the difficulties they are encountering," he said. | "This is continually brought up by the Labour Party as a diversionary tactic from the difficulties they are encountering," he said. |
| And he could give an "absolute cast iron guarantee" the NHS would not be on the table. | And he could give an "absolute cast iron guarantee" the NHS would not be on the table. |
| He also pointed out the documents had been available online for two months. | He also pointed out the documents had been available online for two months. |