Exclusive
'No, no, and double no' US Ambassador denies America interested in buying NHS
10 January 2020, 10:30
America does not intend to "buy" the NHS in a post-Brexit trade deal, US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson has told LBC.
Following a General Election campaign dominated by claims from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that the USA was attempting to "buy" parts of the National Health Service,
The claims were denied by Boris Johnson, and in a world exclusive interview with LBC, President Donald Trump also denied the allegations.
The outgoing Labour leader had continued to suggest that the NHS would be "on the table" in any future US-UK trade talks which would happen after Brexit.
When US Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson was asked by LBC's Nick Ferrari if the claims were true, the Ambassador was resolute in his denials of the claim.
Mr Johnson told LBC: "No, no, and double no.
"The president said... if you gave it to him on a silver platter he wouldn't take it.
"We have got our own issues dealing with health care.
"It's a major, major issue.
"The president wants to concentrate on his health issues that he has, the national health issues. You have Obama care and converting it into something that gives people choices.
"You can solve the NHS issues. And I think the Prime Minister has been very clear that he wants to emphasis improving health care and efficiency. And more hospitals and more nurses, which is great."
In October Mr Trump told LBC that Jeremy Corbyn would be "so bad" for the country.
"Corbyn would be so bad for your country. He'd be so bad, he'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places," Mr Trump said.
The Labour leader took to Twitter to hit back at the President, Mr Corbyn tweeted: "Donald Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected,"
"It was Trump who said in June the NHS is 'on the table'. And he knows if Labour wins US corporations won't get their hands on it. Our NHS is not for sale."
Mr Trump dismissed Mr Corbyn's warnings that the NHS will be up for grabs for the US after Brexit, telling LBC: "Not at all. We wouldn't even be involved in that, no.
"It's not for us to have anything to do with your health care system. No, we're just talking about trade."
