NHS stunt reveals how desperate Labour is
Labour’s unconventional relationship with the media took another couple of twists yesterday.
First up, shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner failed to conceal his irritation when a reporter from ITV asked a question about Labour’s antisemitism problem.
He snapped: “Do you have a question about the issue we’re discussing, or was that just an opportune moment to get a dig in?”
The issue that Gardiner wanted journalists to focus on was his party’s sensational scoop that UK and US officials have been having preliminary conversations about how a trade deal might be approached.
Here Labour revelled in the role of journalist. “Exposed,” they cried. “Revealed,” shrieked the press release.
The revelation, such as it was, appeared on an online forum weeks ago, but nobody appeared to notice. 451 pages of minutes relating to technical discussions about potential future trade talks — or, as the Labour party put it: “BREAKING: We have evidence that Boris Johnson has put the NHS up for sale.”
They have nothing of the sort, of course, but the primary objective was achieved: move the conversation back on to the NHS.
The Prime Minister was touring a Cornish hospital as Labour unveiled its stunt and naturally had to fend off the potent allegation that the Tories want nothing more than to sell off the NHS brick-by-brick.
Labour will also have plenty of fresh content for more of its highly successful viral videos featuring selective quotes, scary music and footage of US President Donald Trump salivating at the prospect of finally getting his hands on one of our debt-saddled NHS Foundation Trusts.
In truth, the documents highlighted by Labour yesterday are interesting and definitely newsworthy.
Certainly, they suggest a battle lies ahead about drug pricing and patent policy, and the US is pushing for higher prices for its drugs — but the leak reveals what the Americans would like to be on the table, not what the British government has agreed to.
Labour made much of a reference in the files to “total market access” — but this wasn’t referring specifically to the NHS (which only got four mentions throughout the 451 pages) but rather the preferred starting point of US trade negotiators.
The document goes on to note that it’s then up to the other party to specify any area they want excluded from the talks.
Every time Boris Johnson is forced to insist that he wouldn’t put the NHS on the table, Labour strategists pat each other on the back.
The election looks like it’s Johnson’s to lose, and Labour hope that stunts like today’s could deny him victory.
Main image: Getty