THIS definitely caught my eye this afternoon…
Donald Trump, the US president, confirmed that the US would want to include access to the NHS market in any US-UK trade talks. Woody Johnson, the US ambassador, said this at the weekend, and Trump was asked if he agreed with Johnson that the entire economy should be on the table in trade talks, including the NHS. He replied:
“I think everything with a trade deal is on the table. When you’re dealing in trade, everything is on the table – so NHS or anything else, a lot more than that, but everything will be on the table, absolutely.”
But, as my colleague Patrick Wintour points out, Theresa May had to explain to Trump what the NHS was.
You folks are getting it wrong… he actually means it. Ask the Chinese because they’ve been making it increasingly plain that they’re good with American trade demands… except for privatization and an end to subsidies of state owned enterprises. To explain, it’s like asking someone to burn down their own house and then give you half the insurance settlement.
To our friends in the UK… you better start calling your MPs asking them to completely reject ANY input from the US on healthcare. Trust me, you don’t want our system… most of us want yours.