Is Boris Johnson putting the NHS up for sale?

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The key passage, based on what we have seen, comes at the end of the section on intellectual property (IP) from a meeting in July 2018. After 14 pages summarising ferociously technical talks between officials expert in drugs IP, the UK concludes: “We have reached a point (for patents in pharmaceuticals/health) where beyond specific policy details in niche areas, we are awaiting the clearance to negotiate and exchange text to really take significant further steps.”

Assuming ministers haven’t given negotiating instructions since then (highly reckless at this point), we’re still at that stage. The same is true of the other sections Labour have got excited about, where the two sides discuss the “negative list” approach (all sectors opened unless specifically excluded) for services. That would allow US healthcare companies more scope to operate inside the NHS, but only if the UK doesn’t put public healthcare on the excluded list.

These documents, apart from revealing the mind-bending detail of trade talks to a lay audience, are neither irrelevant nor conclusive evidence the government is lying. Are the meetings so far consistent with a Tory government putting the NHS up for negotiation? Yes. Have they already started? No. Will they do so if elected on December 12? That depends how much you trust Ms Truss and Mr Johnson.

Commonly, Americans are paying on debt, living pay check to pay check, so can't afford those taxes.