Glenrothes MP to bring forward NHS protection bill at Westminster

The MP for Glenrothes is putting forward a Bill to prevent the NHS from being included in any future trade deal between the UK and other countries.

Peter Grant will present his Private Member's Bill in the House of Commons today and warns the health service is 'not for sale at any price'.

Despite the NHS being a devolved issue in Scotland, the Glenrothes SNP MP claims Holyrood cannot stop Westminster from putting the health service on the table as part of any future trade talks.

Mr Grant says the purpose of the Bill is to protect the health service in law.

He also wants the NHS Protection Act implemented to ensure the health service is publicly run.

Peter Grant MP said: "The NHS in Scotland - and all parts of the UK - is precious to those who use it and it is our duty, as elected representatives, to do everything we can to ensure it is protected.

"It is not for sale at any price.

"While health policy is devolved to Scotland, we cannot currently stop Westminster signing away our NHS in a damaging trade deal, or entering agreements with other nations that would dramatically push up drug prices or risk our public services."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously ruled out the NHS becoming part of any trade deal between the UK and US.

On Monday, Mr Johnson made a speech on the UK's future after its departure from the EU with respect to free trade.  

On the health service, he said: "It goes without saying that of course the NHS is not on the table."

In a press conference last June with then Prime Minister Theresa May, US President Donald Trump said 'everything with a trade deal is on the table' in any future UK-US trade agreement, including the NHS.

But in December at NATO's 70th anniversary, President Trump contrasted his previous position on the health service's potential inclsuion in any future trade deal by saying 'we wouldn't want to if you handed it to us on a silver platter'. 

The UK left the EU last Friday evening and is hoping to secure a free trade agreement with the bloc after the transition period, which is expected to run until the end of this year, as well as strike other trade deals with a range of nations around the world in the future.

Image from UK Parliament released under Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) Licence