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Theresa May has sparked a furious backlash after she refused to guarantee she'll protect the NHS from US business interests in a post- Brexit trade deal.

Asked to make the pledge today, the Prime Minister said it was too early to tell what Washington negotiators would demand.

Instead she said Britain's priority was to "get the best possible deal" - leaving the health service ripe for exploitation.

It comes just two days after billionaire Trump sparked a diplomatic row by claiming a march by 60,000 British people showed universal healthcare is unaffordable.

In fact the march on Saturday was to ask Tories to give the system more funds.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable, who asked Mrs May for the pledge, blasted her "pathetic non-committal response" and said: "I can only infer that the NHS is indeed for sale".

A spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn said it was "a matter of great concern" that the Prime Minister could let "predatory US corporations" cherry-pick aspects of the NHS.

Labour MP Lisa Nandy said: "The Prime Minister showed she cannot be trusted with our vital public services."

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Labour MP Stephen Doughty added: "Hard Brexit is a direct threat to our NHS."

Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said: "Make no mistake, an extreme Brexit is a profound threat to our health service."

Ministers have furiously denied previous concerns that they could water down food standards or workers' rights to get better trade terms around the world.

But at Prime Minister's Questions today, Mrs May ducked a question about the most treasured British asset - the National Health Service.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince told her in Parliament: "The Prime Minister knows that one of the key objectives of American trade negotiators in any future deal after Beexit is to secure access for American companies to business in the NHS.

"Can she give an absolute guarantee that in those negotiations the NHS will be excluded from their scope?

"And can she confirm that in her conversations with President Trump she’s made it absolutely clear to him that the NHS is not for sale?"

The query came hours after Mrs May spoke to President Trump on the phone to back the US Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, which will allow the US to access data stored in Britain.

On trade, Mrs May confirmed "we are starting the discussions with the American administration."

But she said: "He doesn’t know what they’re going to say in their requirements for that Free Trade Agreement.

“We will go into those negotiations to get the best possible deal for the United Kingdom."

The backlash to Mrs May's answer today was furious and immediate.

Labour MP Peter Kyle, a backer of the anti-Brexit Open Britain campaign, said: "Theresa May just gave Donald Trump the green light to get his hands on our National Health Service.

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PMQs

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“ Just days after the US President took to Twitter to insult the NHS, the Prime Minister was given a clear opportunity to rule out opening up our health service to private competition from US companies.

"Her clear refusal to do so underlines her weakness in trade negotiations and should concern us all."

Remain-backing MP Ben Bradshaw wrote to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt demanding he "use his position" in the Cabinet to ensure the NHS is protected.

Questioned later, the PM's official spokesman referred reporters to comments Theresa may made in February 2017, when she said: "The NHS is not for sale and it never will be."

The spokesman added: "Any trade deal would ensure that decisions about public services continue to be made by UK Governments, not trade partners.

"The UK's public health sector is protected by specific exceptions and reservations in all EU trade agreements, and as we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that rigorous protections for the NHS are included in all trade agreements it is party to."

The clash came hours after campaigners hailed victory when the government confirmed it will delay laws to allow controversial ' Accountable Care Organisations ' in the NHS.

Critics have branded ACOs a "Trojan horse for privatisation" due to their complex structure, despite the government insisting they are nothing of the sort.

Previously, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had refused to confirm the laws would be held up while NHS chiefs hold a new consultation into ACOs - following public pressure and two High Court challenges.

But yesterday Health Minister Caroline Dinenage finally confirmed: “No regulations will be laid until that consultation has been completed.”

It means the laws, which had been intended for February, cannot be introduced until after the end of the consultation which finishes in mid-April.

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Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: “It made no sense for the Government to be forcing through changes to regulations behind closed doors, while NHS England carried out their consultation at the same time.

"It’s only right that Ministers have bowed to pressure from campaigners and pushed these changes back.”

Professor Allyson Pollock of JR4NHS, one of the two legal challenges against ACOs, said: "We are very pleased that the government has taken the sensible course of delaying these regulations.

"We hope very much that this signals the beginning of the end of the attempt to introduce ACOs through contracts."