Is the NHS up for sale? Here’s what Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘unredacted’ documents actually say Labour leader has accused the Conservatives of a ‘secret plot’

Labour has accused the Conservatives of negotiating a secret trade deal with the US to open up the NHS to American pharmaceutical companies.

Jeremy Corbyn said they had obtained uncensored Government documents showing talks were at a “very advanced stage”.

But what do the papers actually show? Here i takes a look.

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What are the documents Labour has published?

They are minutes from six meetings held between delegations from the US and UK governments to set out the parameters of future trade negotiations for a potential US-UK free trade agreement.

What does Labour say is in them?

Jeremy Corbyn gave a press conference stating the documents show evidence that the Conservative government is discussing opening up the NHS to major US pharmaceutical companies. It has prompted him to repeat his accusation that Boris Johnson is putting the NHS “up for sale” in trying to secure a trade deal with the Trump administration.

Do the documents provide proof of the NHS being ‘up for sale’?

There was certainly no “smoking gun”, despite claims by Mr Corbyn that “we have now got evidence that under Boris Johnson the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale”.

The papers do show the NHS was discussed in the meetings between the UK and US. Tellingly, the UK delegation admitted after its second meeting that the “key areas” the US was expected to “push” in trade talks included the issue of drug patents and “NHS access to generic drugs (i.e. cheaper drugs)”, adding this would be a “key consideration going forward”.

Was there anything else on the NHS?

Part of the discussions on drug patents is related to the price of drugs that the NHS requires. Labour believes the discussion of the length of drug patents is a sign that the US will seek to lengthen how long certain drugs are under patent in order to charge a higher price for them.

Mr Corbyn highlighted previous comments by Donald Trump’s whom he said had complained about the “unreasonably low prices” countries pay for US drugs. The documents do show that the UK negotiating team had highlighted “pharmaceutical protections” as an area that would require more “in-depth discussions”.

When are the documents from?

The minutes are from six separate meetings from July 2017 to July 2019. The Conservatives will point out that these discussions took place during Theresa May’s tenure, but Mr Johnson was foreign secretary until July 2018.

Do the documents discuss other areas?

Yes, and they are potentially more damaging for the Conservatives than the talks on the NHS. The US repeatedly states that the UK cutting all regulatory ties with the EU would be “beneficial” in terms of securing a US trade deal. In particular, the US raises concerns over food hygiene standards, stating that “the US view the introduction of warning labels as harmful rather than as a step to public health”.

Major fears were raised over Mrs May’s so-called Chequers plans, which would have paved the way for more closer alignment to EU regulations and standards post-Brexit. The US said they were “deflated” by the plans adding that “harmonisation” with the EU’s food hygiene regime as being the “worst-case scenario” for a UK-US free trade agreement. Mr Johnson resigned in protest against the Chequers plans.

As recently as July, the US team appeared to dictate terms in regards to the Brexit negotiations and pushed hard for a no-deal exit from the EU, telling the UK that there would be “all to play for” under such a scenario. However, they insisted any commitment to the customs union and single market would make a UK-US free trade agreement a “non-starter”.

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How damaging is this for Boris Johnson?

The papers do not catch Mr Johnson red-handed, despite Labour’s best efforts to say otherwise. They do show the NHS has been discussed, however, and that the US will push hard on the issue of drugs and their prices.

But it is worth pointing out that these were exploratory meetings where both sides spell out what they believe should be up for discussion in future trade negotiations.

It does not mean that they will all be included when negotiations begin in earnest. Much will depend on how much leverage the UK has in the talks. If Mr Johnson ends up being desperate for a trade deal with the US, then Labour’s fears could eventually be well-founded.

What do the Conservatives say?

The International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, accused Mr Corbyn of “out and out lying” with his claims.

Ms Truss added: “The NHS will not be on the table in any future trade deal and the price that the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table.”