US ambassador lays bare the ‘terrifying consequences’ of Trump’s post-Brexit deal

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The day before Donald Trump landed for a state visit in the UK, the US ambassador spoke on the Andrew Marr Show. He gave the most terrifying indication yet of what future trade deals between the US and UK may have in store after Brexit.

“On the table”

On 2 June, Andrew Marr spoke to US ambassador Woody Johnson. He said:

A lot of people are worried that a big free-trade deal with America means American pharmaceutical and medical corporations getting a slice of the NHS.

Initially, Johnson talked around the issue, praising the NHS as “the pride of the country”. But Marr pushed further and asked if “healthcare has to be part of the deal”. Johnson replied that “the entire economy… would be on the table”. And when Marr then asked “which includes health care?”, Johnson said:

I would think so.

This prompted shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth to note that a no-deal Brexit could have ‘terrifying consequences’:

Labour’s David Lammy also commented:

Meanwhile, Doctor Lauren Gavaghan said “sick people are good for business”:

“Keep your mitts off my NHS”

The US ambassador’s interview on Marr followed interviews with Trump in Rupert Murdoch-owned UK outlets. According to the Times, Trump “loves Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson”:

As the Times reported, Trump thinks the UK should send Farage “to negotiate with Brussels and pursue a no-deal Brexit if the EU refuses to give Britain what it wants”. Trump said:

If you don’t get the deal you want, if you don’t get a fair deal, then you walk away.

This came shortly after he backed Boris Johnson as an “excellent” potential PM in the Sun:

Both Farage and Johnson have openly backed a no-deal Brexit.

In 2014, Farage insisted that the UK will “have to move to an insurance-based” healthcare system instead of the NHS. Ahead of the EU elections in May, he then argued that insurers could “take the burden off the NHS”. And Labour’s Richard Burgon says that it’s increasingly clear why Trump is endorsing Johnson:

This is a point that other people on social media also noted:

Campaigner and activist Rachel Swindon responded to the situation too, quoting the late Harry Leslie Smith’s famous words about the NHS:

Controversial

Trump’s backing of Johnson ahead of the Conservative leadership contest is seen as breaking diplomatic protocol. And, given this is a state visit, the US president calling Meghan Markle “nasty” also risks ruffling establishment feathers further.

Trump’s UK visit is already highly controversial and huge protests are expected. But the fact his US ambassador suggested the NHS would be “on the table” in a US/UK trade deal makes matters even worse. Since taking office, Trump’s been called out for continued racist, sexist, warmongering, and climate-wrecking policies, comments and actions. He’s a dangerous figure who really shouldn’t come anywhere near political negotiation on matters of life and death in the UK.

Featured images via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia and NHS England

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  • Show Comments

    1. Trump proclaims the the US will give the UK a “Great Deal”, thjat may be so, but for whom?, not the UK.
      The Yanks have always played on the UK’s sychophantic approach to the US to screw the UK.

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    2. Trump is here on a shopping trip, picking out which jewels in which crown will get the ball rolling. The UK should know about this process having practiced it for centuries.

      It is called colonisation and it goes like this. Move in and subdue the inhabitants either by force or bribery aimed at the leaders. Identify raw materials and use local, forced labour to extract them and ship them off for processing into consumer goods. Identify renewable business opportunities and develop farming etc. using local forced labour and ship the produce off to resellers of such things able to secure a high price.

      Once the country has been sucked dry and the indigenous population are exhausted and too sick to work, withdraw and wash one’s hands of any responsibilities.

      The Tories and crooks like Farage are the leaders susceptible to bribery and by putting their wealth into offshore accounts they will avoid suffering the consequences of those not privileged enough to fit into the ‘Leader’ category.

      The groundwork for forced labour has already been laid in the form of sanctioning and reducing healthcare to eliminate those too old and unfit to work.

      Happy Brexit! We deserve it and we are going to get it. Right up there where the sun don’t shine.

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