Corbyn has the perfect response as Trump plots post-Brexit looting of the NHS
In a joint press conference with Theresa May on 4 June, Donald Trump spoke about his plans for a post-Brexit trade deal. He made it clear that, for him, even the National Health Service might be up for sale. He also revealed his dislike for Jeremy Corbyn, which is hardly surprising given that the Labour leader strongly opposes selling off Britain’s assets. Corbyn, meanwhile, had the perfect response to Trump’s comments, insisting:
our NHS is not for sale
“Everything’s on the table”
In response to a Times reporter’s question about a future trade deal, Trump said:
I think we’re going to have a great trade deal, yes… I think everything with a trade deal is on the table. When you’re dealing in trade, everything’s on the table. So NHS or anything else – a lot more than that.
Our NHS is not for sale. pic.twitter.com/MBrMJH9Ic2
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) June 4, 2019
He also claimed to have snubbed Corbyn’s invitation to meet, adding quite revealingly that he was eager to avoid criticism:
I think that people should look to do things correctly as opposed to criticise; I really don’t like critics.
Trump’s comments on the NHS come just days after US ambassador Woody Johnson had said:
healthcare has to be part of the deal… the entire economy… would be on the table.
“Our NHS is not for sale”
Corbyn responded to Trump’s comments by slamming “No Deal disaster capitalism plans”:
Theresa May stood next to @realDonaldTrump as he said the NHS will be "on the table" in a US trade deal. And that’s what Tory leadership contenders and Farage are lining up for the No Deal disaster capitalism plans they have.
They all need to understand: our NHS is not for sale.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 4, 2019
Indeed, the Tories have been overseeing a stealth privatisation of the NHS for years. Nigel Farage similarly called on “private health firms to ‘relieve [the] burden on the NHS'”. And Tory leadership contender and foreign minister Jeremy Hunt co-authored an entire book “calling for [the] NHS to be replaced with private insurance”.
A no-deal Brexit would allow this gang of disaster capitalists to tear up vital regulations and loot public goods. And that is undoubtedly a direction Britain should not be going in. Fortunately, Corbyn is leading the resistance – and his message is a resounding ‘hands off our NHS’.
Featured image via Rwendland/WikiCommons and the Guardian News/screengrab
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Yes, of course the NHS is not for sale. Something that Hunt the c*nt failed to realise while he was busy closing hospitals and subcontracting vital services out to incompetent private companies.
OH! Where were you Jeremy Corbyn? You have some great ideas about the future for the UK unfortunately supporting brexit is not one of them.
Would it not be a good idea to withdraw A50 and use the energy and money currently wasted on brexit to rebuild our broken country?
‘Excuse me, was I not clear?’ will have little effect when the wrecking crews arrive to dismantle everything that once made Britain ‘Great’.
Time to jump down off your fence and help your supporters understand just how you intend to rescue the country from the disaster looming ahead. Please.
What we have to point out is where Trump got the idea he could make a grab for the NHS anyway.
It is no secret that the move to Brexit will impact industry in a big and negative way. It is also pretty clear that the NHS is a costly but cherished institution that the tories have little desire to fund.
The Mirror was reporting the threat to NHS from USA and NHS privatisation in September 2018:
“The plans are included in a 239-page report by the Initiative for Free Trade – a think tank backed by hard Brexiteers and launched by Boris Johnson in the Foreign Office map room.
Spelling out an ‘ideal’ trade deal between the US and UK, the report says there should be “zero restrictions on competition for government procurement”.”
That Trump is repeating this should come as no surprise but don’t let Boris Johnson, Liam Fox who promoted it or the Adam Smith Institute, or the Institute for Economic Affairs who support it, off the hook. The Institute for Free Trade now called the Initiative for Free Trade is a device that right wingers are using to sell off the national family silver and line their own pockets along the way.
Yes, Trump is an obnoxious bully but he has his equivalents in the UK who are equally despicable and are currently keeping their heads down to avoid some of the flack that should rightfully be there’s.
Surely this should kill off the illusion of Lexit, Trump will fuck us hard after Brexit, Labour Government or otherwise. The only defense against Trump is to remain in the EU. That is why I and many others will not vote for Labour until they promise a second referendum! There is no point in trying to get the Brexit vote, they’re not voting Labour anyway!