A new poll has found that almost half of British voters do not believe Boris Johnson’s claim that the NHS is “off the table” in trade deals. The survey by pollsters Survation found that three-quarters (75%) want specific protections for the NHS to be written into law in the Trade Bill.
Tuesday sees the opening of the fourth round of trade talks between the UK and US, which has made no secret of its hopes of securing access for American companies to NHS markets, as well as tougher rules on patents to improve pharmaceutical companies’ profits from new drugs.
Leaked documents last year revealed that US negotiators had made clear their desire for “total market access” in any deal with the UK.
Full story in The Independent, 9 September 2020
