Donald Trump to land in UK amid rising anger over trade demands

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/02/donald-trump-to-land-in-uk-amid-rising-anger-over-trade-demands

Donald Trump to land in UK amid rising anger over trade demands

Jessica Elgot and Patrick Wintour

Sun 2 Jun 2019 22.30 BST

Donald Trump will land in the UK on Monday amid anger over comments made by his ambassador suggesting the NHS should be “on the table” in future trade negotiations.

His visit also came as cabinet ministers vying for the Tory leadership suggested they could tear up plans for the Chinese tech giant Huawei to build parts of the UK’s 5G network, after the ambassador, Woody Johnson, warned it was “a big risk”.

Trump, who will meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace on the first day of his state visit, will be met by thousands of protesters in London the following day during a visit packed with pomp, pageantry and controversy that has seen numerous calls for its cancellation.

Johnson stoked opposition on Sunday after suggesting the UK would need to allow US agricultural products, including chlorinated chicken, on to the UK market as part of any post-Brexit trade deal, as well as US private sector involvement in the NHS.
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The health secretary, Matt Hancock, became the first leadership contender to explicitly rule out any trade deal that put the NHS on the table.

“I love our NHS – it’s been there for me and my family when we have needed it most, and I want to make sure it is always there for all families,” he said ahead of the president’s arrival. “So I have a clear message: the NHS is not for sale and it will not be on the table in any future trade talks.”
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