Phew. The first hours of Donald Trump on British soil happened without much trouble. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his troops were paralyzed by the idea that their host, who came to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in London, is too loud in his proximity to the leader. of the government.
No joint press conference was planned during his stay. The US president is not very popular in the UK, and any comments, especially about this "Superb deal" that he promised in London this summer, could be exploited by Labor. A disaster to a week of crucial general elections (December 12).
Mr. Trump did not "No intention to interfere" in the British political campaign, he said Tuesday, December 3 at a press conference. As for the famous NHS (National Health Service), the sacrosanct British health system, which Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters accuse Mr. Johnson of wanting " sell " to Mr. Trump with the "Deal" Anglo American? "I do not even know where the rumor went," said the US president. "Honestly, I never thought about it. And, besides, we would not want even if we offered it on a silver platter He added without laughing.
However, he had said the exact opposite during his previous visit to the United Kingdom in June, at a joint press conference with Theresa May. "I think everything is on the table in a free trade agreement – so the NHS and everything else," he explained then, skinning the NHS acronym. The former Prime Minister, livid, was quick to correct the situation, stating that there would be a free trade agreement between the two countries "Only on condition" that they agree on what it would contain.
"Not for sale! Not for sale! "
That Mr. Johnson, on the pretext of wanting to sign a trade agreement with the United States soon after the pronounced divorce with the European Union, agrees to open the NHS procurement market to US pharmaceutical companies is a recurring fear in the United Kingdom United, that Labor has been growing since the beginning of the campaign. It is the heart of their argument against the Conservatives. "Not for sale! Not for sale » ("Not for sale!") Labor sympathizers chanted at the end of each party rally.
