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General election: Trump claims even if NHS 'handed on silver platter' in trade deal, US doesn't want it – live news General election: Trump claims even if NHS 'handed on silver platter' in trade deal, US doesn't want it – live news
(32 minutes later)
Doctors and nurses will march to Buckingham Palace, where the US president will be dining with Queen and other leadersDoctors and nurses will march to Buckingham Palace, where the US president will be dining with Queen and other leaders
That interview was mostly rather bland, but at the end Jeremy Corbyn said something that at face value sounded very interesting.
Phillip Schofield asked:
Corbyn replied:
Taken literally, Corbyn seems to be saying he intends to stay on as Labour leader for a full parliamentary term regardless of whether or not he wins the election.
But, taking into account the context (ie, the reference to carrying out the Labour manifesto, and being in government) it seems much more likely that Corbyn was addressing the point about whether he intended to serve a full term as prime minister if he wins the election. (He does - or at least, he always says he does when asked this question.)
There are very few people in the Labour party who would expect him to stay on for another five years as leader if the party loses, and that does not seem to be what meant to say. But I will ask the party for clarification.
Q: Aren’t you exhausted by the campaigning?
No, says Corbyn.
He says he believes in public service. He believes in representing people. And he wants to have a society where we don’t have food banks, or child poverty.
He says he is inspired by the wisdom he encounters.
He says he goes around with a note book. He writes notes everywhere he goes. He says everyone you meet knows something you don’t.
Q: What happens if you don’t win?
Corbyn says he intends to win.
Q: But if you don’t?
Corbyn says his principles and life will be the same.
Corbyn says, when he became Labour leader, there were no processes for dealing with antisemitism. He introduced those, plus a fast-track disciplinary system. And a system of education.
He says a rabbi was attacked in north London this week. That was disgusting. He has discussed this with other rabbis, he says.
Q: Will you apologise to the Jewish community for any antisemitism committed by Labour members?
Corbyn starts an explanation.
Schofield intervenes: “Just say sorry.”
Corbyn says he has said sorry for what has happened.
He says antisemitism is a poison. You know what happens, from 20th century history, if it is allowed to continue.
Q: Many people will fear that, if you tax big business more, prices will go up for everyone.
Corbyn says people need higher wages. And we need to so something about child poverty. Raising wages is good, he says.
He says he wants to invest in infrastructure and training.
Q: President Trump said today he wants nothing to do with the NHS. And it has been claimed that you obtained a dossier about UK-US trade talks that the Russians might have helped to publicise.
Corbyn says no one has suggested that that dossier was not accurate.
Trump himself has said in the past that everything would be on the table in trade talks.
Q: Diane Abbott has called for the abolition of groups like MI5. And you have called for similar things?Q: Diane Abbott has called for the abolition of groups like MI5. And you have called for similar things?
Corbyn says he is not calling for the abolition of MI5. But he wants these organisations to be accountable.Corbyn says he is not calling for the abolition of MI5. But he wants these organisations to be accountable.
Jeremy Corbyn is being interview now by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.Jeremy Corbyn is being interview now by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Q: Boris Johnson says in the Sun today that the country would not be safe with you as PM. Is that true?Q: Boris Johnson says in the Sun today that the country would not be safe with you as PM. Is that true?
Corbyn says his first job as PM would be to keep people safe. That requires more spending on the police. And, internationally, we should not allow there to be vast areas of ungoverned space.Corbyn says his first job as PM would be to keep people safe. That requires more spending on the police. And, internationally, we should not allow there to be vast areas of ungoverned space.
Q: Should terrorists serve life sentences?Q: Should terrorists serve life sentences?
Corbyn says it depends what they did. Sentences should be decided by courts. But the Prison Service is woefully underfunded, he says.Corbyn says it depends what they did. Sentences should be decided by courts. But the Prison Service is woefully underfunded, he says.
He says the lesson from the London Bridge attack is that we need to improve this.He says the lesson from the London Bridge attack is that we need to improve this.
Jeremy Corbyn is about to give an interview to ITV’s This Morning.Jeremy Corbyn is about to give an interview to ITV’s This Morning.
At his press briefing President Trump was asked about Prince Andrew. Trump claimed he did not know him.At his press briefing President Trump was asked about Prince Andrew. Trump claimed he did not know him.
As BuzzFeed’s Mark Di Stafano points out, the picture archive suggests otherwise.As BuzzFeed’s Mark Di Stafano points out, the picture archive suggests otherwise.
At his press briefing President Trump was most critical of his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who recently said that Nato was suffering “brain death”.At his press briefing President Trump was most critical of his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who recently said that Nato was suffering “brain death”.
Trump said Macron’s comments were “very insulting”. He also said has “very surprised” at Macron’s analysis. He said:Trump said Macron’s comments were “very insulting”. He also said has “very surprised” at Macron’s analysis. He said:
Trump said Macron was being “very disrespectful” to other members of the Nato alliance members, and he attacked Macron’s own domestic record.Trump said Macron was being “very disrespectful” to other members of the Nato alliance members, and he attacked Macron’s own domestic record.
Trump is not necessarily the best person to complain about people being rude about Nato. Before he became president, he called the alliance “obsolete” in an interview in 2016. Only this week he also called some of its members “delinquent”.Trump is not necessarily the best person to complain about people being rude about Nato. Before he became president, he called the alliance “obsolete” in an interview in 2016. Only this week he also called some of its members “delinquent”.
The Trump press briefing is over.The Trump press briefing is over.
According to Sky, he was only expected to say a few words at what had been billed as essentially a photo opportunity. Instead he took questions for around 50 minutes.According to Sky, he was only expected to say a few words at what had been billed as essentially a photo opportunity. Instead he took questions for around 50 minutes.
I will be post more from what he said shortly.I will be post more from what he said shortly.
This is what President Trump said when he was asked if he thought the NHS should be on the table in trade deals. He replied:This is what President Trump said when he was asked if he thought the NHS should be on the table in trade deals. He replied:
Trump has just been asked if he thinks Jeremy Corbyn needs to do more to tackle the problem of antisemitism in his party. He says he does not know anything about this issue.Trump has just been asked if he thinks Jeremy Corbyn needs to do more to tackle the problem of antisemitism in his party. He says he does not know anything about this issue.
This is what President Trump said about the UK election.This is what President Trump said about the UK election.
But Trump also said he would be meeting Boris Johnson while he is in the UK for the Nato meeting. Asked if there would be a meeting, he said:But Trump also said he would be meeting Boris Johnson while he is in the UK for the Nato meeting. Asked if there would be a meeting, he said:
Asked why he was staying out of the election, Trump said:Asked why he was staying out of the election, Trump said:
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he predicted the result of the Brexit referendum in advance, when he was visiting his golf course in Scotland. As explained here, this is not true.Trump has repeatedly claimed that he predicted the result of the Brexit referendum in advance, when he was visiting his golf course in Scotland. As explained here, this is not true.
Trump defends his policy towards North Korea. He has a good relationship with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, he says. He says if President Obama were still in the White House, the two countries would be at war.
Trump claims he has become “a bigger fan” of Nato because Nato members have been flexible.
He also says Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary general, is doing a great job.
Stoltenberg is with him at this press briefing at Winfield House, the US ambassador’s residence in London, but Stoltenberg is not getting the chance to say very much because Trump is rambling on at length.
Here is the NHS quote.
Here are more lines from the Trump press briefing.
Donald Trump is speaking to reporters at Winfield House, the US ambassador’s residence, now.
He has also claimed he could work with Jeremy Corbyn. He could work with anyone, he said.
This is from CNN’s White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins.
As Rowena Mason and Heather Stewart report in their overnight story, No 10 has been very anxious for Trump to avoid doing or saying anything that would be seen as an endorsement of Boris Johnson because, given Trump’s unpopularity in the UK, that would not be helpful. Trump seems to have got the message (although whether he can maintain his self-restraint for two days remains to be seen).
Obviously, the claim that Trump has “no thoughts” on the election is not true. He told LBC in an interview last month that Jeremy Corbyn would be “bad” for the country and that Johnson was a “fantastic man”.
These are from my colleague Kate Proctor, who has been covering a Jeremy Corbyn event in London this morning.
Last night Jeremy Corbyn released the text of an open letter he has written to Donald Trump asking for assurances that the NHS, and drug prices in particular, will not be included in the proposed UK-US trade deal. It is one of those letters from politicians clearly not drafted in the expectation that it might receive a reply, but it is interesting nonetheless, particularly for the amount of detail it contains about the eight changes Corbyn wants to the American negotiating objectives for a UK-US trade deal.
Here is the key extract.
Corbyn also released this video making the same point.
This video features a quote from Trump at a press conference with Theresa May in June saying the NHS would be included in trade talks. But when Trump was asked specifically about the NHS, he did not seem to know what the acronym referred to and later, after his comment provoked a major row, he gave an interview saying he did not want the NHS to be included in trade talks.
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Simon Murphy.
As reported earlier, in his Today interview Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, was asked by the presenter Nick Robinson about his involvement in a book that advocated privatisation of health services. (See 8.21am) Raab said he has never personally advocated NHS privatisation.
Robinson was referring to After the Coalition, a book published in 2011 and written jointly by Kwasi Kwarteng, Priti Patel, Chris Skidmore, Liz Truss and Raab. At the time they were all Conservative backbenchers. Now three of them are cabinet ministers (Raab, Patel and Truss), Kwarteng attends cabinet as a minister of state and Skidmore is also a minister of state.
The Mirror’s Dan Bloom has posted an extract from the book on Twitter.
Some would argue that allowing private providers to supply NHS services (which happens quite extensively at the moment) does amount to “privatisation of the NHS”, which is what Raab said this morning that he opposed. But others would argue that phrase implies the wholesale sell-off of the NHS, which is something quite different.
More from Dominic Raab’s interview earlier on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme as the foreign secretary also claimed the Conservatives have no plans to privatise the NHS.
It comes after Jeremy Corbyn last week produced leaked papers detailed US trade talks which he claimed proved the NHS was “up for sale” – an allegation denied by the Tories.
“[We’re] absolutely clear there’s going to be no privatisation of the NHS under the Conservatives’ watch or this prime minister’s watch,” Raab said.
Asked about his involvement in writing a paper advocating privatisation, he said: