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Johnson must cease trade talks with US until NHS is taken off the table, Corbyn demands

JEREMY CORBYN has called on the PM to discontinue trade talks with the US until President Donald Trump promises to take the NHS off the negotiating table. 

The call coincided with Mr Trump’s controversial visit to Britain — a move that’s expected to derail the Tory campaign even further ahead of the general election. 

In a letter released on Monday, the Labour leader urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to freeze trade talks with the US until amendments are made to the negotiation objectives. 

These include excluding any reference to pharmaceuticals, accepting NHS drug price thresholds and explicitly ruling out privatisation of the health service by US companies. 

“The public needs to know that all aspects of our health service are genuinely off the table in any UK-US trade talks, and that no part of the NHS or our health system will be up for sale,” it reads. 

Mass protests organised by a coalition of anti-racist groups and led by nurses and doctors met Mr Trump’s visit to Britain on Tuesday evening.

Ahead of the protest, Stop the War convenor Lindsey German said: “Donald Trump’s aim is more spending on the military which means less on the NHS and schools.

“Nato expansion has been immensely costly in terms of finance and is growing tension across the world. It must stop now. Trump must go.”

Mr Johnson had previously urged the US President not to intervene in the election, over fears that Mr Trump could derail the shaky Tory campaign.

He told LBC radio: “What we don’t do traditionally, is get involved in each other’s election campaigns.” 

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