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Brexit news: We're not plotting to grab your NHS, insists US chief


And Woody Johnson urged Britain to work “day and night” to secure a trade deal with the US in order to “strengthen your hand” in negotiations with the EU. In the run-up to last month’s general election, Labour repeatedly told voters the NHS would be a key part of trade negotiations under a Tory government. The claims were repeatedly denied by Boris Johnson, who put the NHS at the heart of his election campaign.

Yesterday, Ambassador Johnson was asked if the US wanted to buy the NHS. He replied: “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.

“You can solve the NHS issues. And I think Boris Johnson has been very clear that he wants to emphasise improving health care and efficiency, and more hospitals and more nurses, which is great.”

The Prime Minister has promised to plough billions of pounds into the NHS, which will be used to recruit 50,000 more nurses, 6,000 more GPs and build 40 new hospitals.

During the election campaign he issued a “cast iron guarantee” that the NHS would not be part of any trade deal with the US.

The PM and President Trump are expected to meet in Washington after Brexit has been delivered on January 31, following an invitation from the US President to strike a “massive trade deal”.

The transatlantic trip could come as early as next month.

Britain is also negotiating its future trading relationship with the EU.

Mr Johnson has vowed this will be sewn up by the end of this year.

Trade deals with Australia, Japan and Norway, among others, are also expected to flood in once Britain is freed from the shackles of Brussels.

Ambassador Johnson said the US would help Britain get a good trade deal with Brussels by running trade talks in parallel after Britain formally leaves the EU.

He said a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK was a top priority for President Trump, who he said was “resolute” in his determination to “get it done”.

The comments come as a major boost for the PM’s strategy to run trade talks with the US and the EU in tandem, which Brexiteers argue will give Britain more “leverage” in negotiations with Brussels.

It is hoped the move will make it more likely that Brussels strikes a quick deal and offers better terms.

In his interview with LBC Ambassador Johnson added: “Having a trade deal with the US and maybe the Five Eyes (the UK-US intelligence alliance with Australia, Canada and New Zealand) will strengthen your hand when negotiating with your closest geographical trading partner, the EU.”

Stressing how keen Mr Trump is to strike a close agreement with the UK, Mr Johnson said: “He’s very bullish. And he said, you know, dozens of times
 how excited he is about the prospect of a closer relationship, trade-wise,.

“And he said how encouraged he is by all the capabilities of this great country and how it’s so important to the US that we have security and our prosperity so closely linked.”

The US Ambassador added: “He wants to get it done. Take him at his word and start working on it day and night would be my suggestion.”



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