Corbyn reveals secret documents that 'confirm Tory plot to sell off NHS in US trade talks with Trump'

Jeremy Corbyn has released uncensored official documents which he says provides confirmation that the NHS is on the table in trade talks with the USA.

In a press conference in Westminster, Mr Corbyn brandished what appeared to be leaked government papers detailing six rounds of trade talks in Washington and London running from July 2017 to a few months ago.

He said that the content of the 451-page paper left “in tatters” prime minister Boris Johnson’s denial that the NHS is on the table in trade talks.

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And he declared: “This election is now a fight for the survival of our National Health Service as a public service free for all at the point of need.

“So for the want of any doubt, let me give this reassurance: Labour will never ever treat our NHS as a bargaining chip in trade talks with anybody. We will never let Donald Trump get his hands on our NHS. Because our NHS is not for sale.

The bombshell announcement came as Mr Corbyn battled to force the general election agenda back onto his preferred turf of health, after a nightmare day on Tuesday in which his fitness to govern was questioned by the Chief Rabbi and he refused four times in a difficult BBC interview to apologise for his handling of antisemitism in his party.

In a tweet, the Labour Party said that the unredacted documents “show Boris Johnson’s government is preparing to sell our NHS”.

However, all of the meetings detailed in the documents took place before Mr Johnson became prime minister. The memos record discussions between July 2017 and July 2019, under Theresa May's government.

The Tories accused Mr Corbyn of "out-and-out lying to the public" and peddling "conspiracy theories".

Mr Johnson has previously said there “no circumstances whatsoever” in which a Conservative government would put the NHS on the table in trade talks with the US.

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Shape Created with Sketch. General election: On the campaign trail Show all 78 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. General election: On the campaign trail 1/78 Britain's Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn poses with WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) supporters after he outlined Labour's plans to repay the "historical debt of honour" owed to women born in the 1950's AFP via Getty 2/78 PA 3/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with sheep as he visits the Royal Welsh Showground, in Llanelwedd PA 4/78 A coalition of NHS (National Health Service) campaigners led by "Keep Our NHS Public" and "We Own It", pose for photographs with masks of US President Donal Trump, right, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson carving up the NHS with a giant knife and fork, as they take part in a demonstration on Parliament Square. The campaigners are calling for the NHS to be taken "off the table" in a trade deal with the US by ending privatisation in the health service and restoring it to a wholly publicly owned and provided service AP 5/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage visits Plymouth Fisheries at Sutton Harbour Getty 6/78 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon gives her party's candidate for North East Fife Stephen Gethins a haircut, during a visit to Craig Boyd Hairdressing in Leven PA 7/78 Vans belonging to The Community United against Labour Party anti-Semitism group, Culpa, parked next to a police car ahead of the Labour Race and Faith Manifesto launch Getty 8/78 Boris Johnson prepares to serve food at the Royal Welsh Showground PA 9/78 Jeremy Corbyn tries his hand at bricklaying during a visit to the West Nottinghamshire College Construction Centre, in Ashfield PA 10/78 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson during a visit to the London design museum to discuss the party's tech policy PA 11/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage visits Seaham Getty 12/78 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for the Conservative party's manifesto launch in Telford Reuters 13/78 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets supporters during a visit to Thurrock in Essex PA 14/78 Protesters wait for the arrival of Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the launch of his party's manifesto PA 15/78 Jo Swinson gestures from atop a crane during a visit to an eco home building site in Sheffield AFP via Getty 16/78 Jeremy Corbyn meets a supporter on a train on his return from a visit to Sheffield PA 17/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to Bassetlaw District General Hospital in Worksop, Nottinghamshire PA 18/78 Nigel Farage campaigns in Hartlepool Getty Images 19/78 Jeremy Corbyn outside an Amazon depot in Sheffield, to announce plans for a workers' rights revolution and to ensure big businesses pay their fair share of taxes PA 20/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, during their successive appearances on BBC Question Time Leaders' Special at the Octagon in Sheffield PA 21/78 Liberal Democratic Party leader Jo Swinson visits a primary school in Cambridge EPA 22/78 Boris Johnson lays a brick during a visit to the Barratt Homes Getty 23/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the launch of the party's election manifesto at Birmingham City University Getty 24/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage holds his party policy document during the party's policy launch in Westminster PA 25/78 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon joined Dundee East candidate Stewart Hosie to made a keynote speech at The Quay Getty 26/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a part of an electrical appliance during a General Election campaign trail stop at Ebac in Newton Aycliffe AP 27/78 Jeremy Corbyn poses during a visit to The Oatcake Boat on the Trent & Mersey Canal, Stoke Getty 28/78 Jo Swinson and Willie Rennie Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats gesture, during a visit to Glasgow Reuters 29/78 PA 30/78 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson (left) during a visit to the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Temple in Glasgow PA 31/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meets Colin and his mother after a speech at the University of Lancaster Getty Images 32/78 Britain's Green Party co-leaders Jonathan Bartley, Sian Berry, and deputy leader Amelia Womack, wave during the launch of the party manifesto at the Observatory at London Wetland Centre Reuters 33/78 Scottish Nationalist Party leader Nicola Sturgeon meets voters and activists at Cafe Roma in Clarkston, Glasgow AFP via Getty 34/78 Protestors participate in an anti-Boris Johnson rally in his constituency Uxbridge, west London AFP via Getty Images 35/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage looks out from a window on the Kestrel crabbing boat in Grimsby fish dock PA 36/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a tug boat in the port of Bristol PA 37/78 Green Party Co-Leader Sian Berry has a selfie taken with a supporter at the Observatory, London Wetlands Centre PA 38/78 Jo Swinson helps chef Leonardo Mastofilippo to make pizza during a campaign visit to cafe Amisha in South Bermonsey EPA 39/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) ladies during a visit to Birkenshaw Sports Barn in Uddingston EPA 40/78 Boris Johnson at the unveiling of the Conservative Party battlebus in Middleton, Greater Manchester PA 41/78 Nicola Sturgeon sits alongside Cycling Without Age user Cyril Corcoran (centre), aged 78, in an electric tricycle during a visit to Hawick, in the Scottish Borders PA 42/78 Nigel Farage holds a fish during a stop at the Grimsby Seafood Village PA 43/78 Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson in the boxing ring at Total Boxer, a specialised boxing gym which offers training to young people as a means of keeping them away from violence, in Crouch End, London PA 44/78 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts as he participates in a school art lesson, making a clay figure at George Spencer Academy, west of Nottingham AFP via Getty 45/78 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn during a visit to the Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre in Glasgow PA 46/78 Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon visits the Cafe Gelato in Rutherglen, Glasgow EPA 47/78 The Green Party launch in Bristol PA 48/78 Farage enjoys some chips at the start of a nationwide tour for the 2019 general election, in Whitehaven AFP/Getty 49/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unveils the Labour battle bus in Liverpool PA 50/78 Boris Johnson reacts as he talks with workers whilst weighing packaged tea bags at the Tetley Tea Factory in Stockton-on-Tees AFP/Getty 51/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage on the campaign trail in Whitehaven, where he was confronted by Karl Connor PA 52/78 Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson speaks to volunteer Rosie Squires in the Stainforth 4 All charity shop during a visit to Stainforth in South Yorkshire to meet people affected by flooding PA 53/78 Nicola Sturgeon poses with candidates during the SNP general election campaign launch in Edinburgh Reuters 54/78 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn with Laura McAlpine, the party's candidate for Harlow PA 55/78 Anti-Boris Johnson protesters demonstrate outside the hall where the Conservative Party were launching their campaign in Birmingham EPA 56/78 Green Party Co-Leader Sian Berry (left), Deputy Leader and Parliamentary Candidate for Newport West Amelia Womack (right), and Bristol West Candidate Carla Denyer (centre) at the launch of the party's general election manifesto in Bristol PA 57/78 The PM tastes whisky during a visit to Diageo's Roseisle Distillery near Elgin, Scotland Reuters 58/78 Nigel Farage poses with boxer Dereck Chisora during a visit to a boxing gym in Ilford Reuters 59/78 Jo Swinson visits a science class at Hinchley Wood School near Esher Reuters 60/78 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds a guitar as she visits Dalkeith Community Hub Getty 61/78 A man heckles as Jeremy Corbyn gives a speech at the Senior Citizens Hall in Macclesfield Getty 62/78 Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn visits residents affected by flooding in Conisbrough Reuters 63/78 Boris Johnson gestures as he helps quality control staff during a visit to the Tayto Castle crisp factory in County Armagh, Northern Ireland AFP via Getty 64/78 The Lib Dem leader eats a marshmallow during a visit to Free Rangers Nursery in Midsomer Norton, Somerset PA 65/78 Nigel Farage visits a butcher's shop in Sutton-in-Ashfield Reuters 66/78 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon visits Blosson Tree children's nursery AFP via Getty 67/78 Jeremy Corbyn laughs during a visit to the Scrap Creative Reuse Arts Project, Sunny Bank Mills Getty 68/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson hold Rosie the rabbit during a visit to a primary school while on the campaign trail in Taunton AFP via Getty 69/78 Jo Swinson playing with children at the Battersea Arts Centre in Lavender Hill PA 70/78 Farage addresses supporters at the Washington Central Hotel in Workington PA 71/78 Jeremy Corbyn poses with Labour activists as they canvas in Govan, Glasgow PA 72/78 Nicola Sturgeon during a visit to The Shed, a Climate Challenge community project at North Edinburgh Arts PA 73/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets six month old Willow Rose Anderson, at the Lych Gate Tavern in Wolverhampton PA 74/78 Jo Swinson holds up a sack of barley during a visit to Crafty Maltsters Scotland Getty 75/78 Jeremy Corbyn tries a scone in Bentley, Doncaster PA 76/78 Nigel Farage takes a mouthful of homemade cheesecake during a stop at the Grimsby Seafood Village PA 77/78 Boris Johnson hauling a consignment of frozen chocolate gateaux, during a visit to Iceland Foods HQ in Deeside PA 78/78 Jo Swinson puts on a high visibility jacket during a visit to Sigma Pharmaceuticals, a family run pharmaceutical wholesaler in Watford AFP via Getty 1/78 Britain's Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn poses with WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) supporters after he outlined Labour's plans to repay the "historical debt of honour" owed to women born in the 1950's AFP via Getty 2/78 PA 3/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with sheep as he visits the Royal Welsh Showground, in Llanelwedd PA 4/78 A coalition of NHS (National Health Service) campaigners led by "Keep Our NHS Public" and "We Own It", pose for photographs with masks of US President Donal Trump, right, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson carving up the NHS with a giant knife and fork, as they take part in a demonstration on Parliament Square. The campaigners are calling for the NHS to be taken "off the table" in a trade deal with the US by ending privatisation in the health service and restoring it to a wholly publicly owned and provided service AP 5/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage visits Plymouth Fisheries at Sutton Harbour Getty 6/78 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon gives her party's candidate for North East Fife Stephen Gethins a haircut, during a visit to Craig Boyd Hairdressing in Leven PA 7/78 Vans belonging to The Community United against Labour Party anti-Semitism group, Culpa, parked next to a police car ahead of the Labour Race and Faith Manifesto launch Getty 8/78 Boris Johnson prepares to serve food at the Royal Welsh Showground PA 9/78 Jeremy Corbyn tries his hand at bricklaying during a visit to the West Nottinghamshire College Construction Centre, in Ashfield PA 10/78 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson during a visit to the London design museum to discuss the party's tech policy PA 11/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage visits Seaham Getty 12/78 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for the Conservative party's manifesto launch in Telford Reuters 13/78 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets supporters during a visit to Thurrock in Essex PA 14/78 Protesters wait for the arrival of Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the launch of his party's manifesto PA 15/78 Jo Swinson gestures from atop a crane during a visit to an eco home building site in Sheffield AFP via Getty 16/78 Jeremy Corbyn meets a supporter on a train on his return from a visit to Sheffield PA 17/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to Bassetlaw District General Hospital in Worksop, Nottinghamshire PA 18/78 Nigel Farage campaigns in Hartlepool Getty Images 19/78 Jeremy Corbyn outside an Amazon depot in Sheffield, to announce plans for a workers' rights revolution and to ensure big businesses pay their fair share of taxes PA 20/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, during their successive appearances on BBC Question Time Leaders' Special at the Octagon in Sheffield PA 21/78 Liberal Democratic Party leader Jo Swinson visits a primary school in Cambridge EPA 22/78 Boris Johnson lays a brick during a visit to the Barratt Homes Getty 23/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the launch of the party's election manifesto at Birmingham City University Getty 24/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage holds his party policy document during the party's policy launch in Westminster PA 25/78 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon joined Dundee East candidate Stewart Hosie to made a keynote speech at The Quay Getty 26/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a part of an electrical appliance during a General Election campaign trail stop at Ebac in Newton Aycliffe AP 27/78 Jeremy Corbyn poses during a visit to The Oatcake Boat on the Trent & Mersey Canal, Stoke Getty 28/78 Jo Swinson and Willie Rennie Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats gesture, during a visit to Glasgow Reuters 29/78 PA 30/78 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson (left) during a visit to the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Temple in Glasgow PA 31/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meets Colin and his mother after a speech at the University of Lancaster Getty Images 32/78 Britain's Green Party co-leaders Jonathan Bartley, Sian Berry, and deputy leader Amelia Womack, wave during the launch of the party manifesto at the Observatory at London Wetland Centre Reuters 33/78 Scottish Nationalist Party leader Nicola Sturgeon meets voters and activists at Cafe Roma in Clarkston, Glasgow AFP via Getty 34/78 Protestors participate in an anti-Boris Johnson rally in his constituency Uxbridge, west London AFP via Getty Images 35/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage looks out from a window on the Kestrel crabbing boat in Grimsby fish dock PA 36/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a tug boat in the port of Bristol PA 37/78 Green Party Co-Leader Sian Berry has a selfie taken with a supporter at the Observatory, London Wetlands Centre PA 38/78 Jo Swinson helps chef Leonardo Mastofilippo to make pizza during a campaign visit to cafe Amisha in South Bermonsey EPA 39/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) ladies during a visit to Birkenshaw Sports Barn in Uddingston EPA 40/78 Boris Johnson at the unveiling of the Conservative Party battlebus in Middleton, Greater Manchester PA 41/78 Nicola Sturgeon sits alongside Cycling Without Age user Cyril Corcoran (centre), aged 78, in an electric tricycle during a visit to Hawick, in the Scottish Borders PA 42/78 Nigel Farage holds a fish during a stop at the Grimsby Seafood Village PA 43/78 Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson in the boxing ring at Total Boxer, a specialised boxing gym which offers training to young people as a means of keeping them away from violence, in Crouch End, London PA 44/78 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts as he participates in a school art lesson, making a clay figure at George Spencer Academy, west of Nottingham AFP via Getty 45/78 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn during a visit to the Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre in Glasgow PA 46/78 Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon visits the Cafe Gelato in Rutherglen, Glasgow EPA 47/78 The Green Party launch in Bristol PA 48/78 Farage enjoys some chips at the start of a nationwide tour for the 2019 general election, in Whitehaven AFP/Getty 49/78 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unveils the Labour battle bus in Liverpool PA 50/78 Boris Johnson reacts as he talks with workers whilst weighing packaged tea bags at the Tetley Tea Factory in Stockton-on-Tees AFP/Getty 51/78 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage on the campaign trail in Whitehaven, where he was confronted by Karl Connor PA 52/78 Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson speaks to volunteer Rosie Squires in the Stainforth 4 All charity shop during a visit to Stainforth in South Yorkshire to meet people affected by flooding PA 53/78 Nicola Sturgeon poses with candidates during the SNP general election campaign launch in Edinburgh Reuters 54/78 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn with Laura McAlpine, the party's candidate for Harlow PA 55/78 Anti-Boris Johnson protesters demonstrate outside the hall where the Conservative Party were launching their campaign in Birmingham EPA 56/78 Green Party Co-Leader Sian Berry (left), Deputy Leader and Parliamentary Candidate for Newport West Amelia Womack (right), and Bristol West Candidate Carla Denyer (centre) at the launch of the party's general election manifesto in Bristol PA 57/78 The PM tastes whisky during a visit to Diageo's Roseisle Distillery near Elgin, Scotland Reuters 58/78 Nigel Farage poses with boxer Dereck Chisora during a visit to a boxing gym in Ilford Reuters 59/78 Jo Swinson visits a science class at Hinchley Wood School near Esher Reuters 60/78 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds a guitar as she visits Dalkeith Community Hub Getty 61/78 A man heckles as Jeremy Corbyn gives a speech at the Senior Citizens Hall in Macclesfield Getty 62/78 Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn visits residents affected by flooding in Conisbrough Reuters 63/78 Boris Johnson gestures as he helps quality control staff during a visit to the Tayto Castle crisp factory in County Armagh, Northern Ireland AFP via Getty 64/78 The Lib Dem leader eats a marshmallow during a visit to Free Rangers Nursery in Midsomer Norton, Somerset PA 65/78 Nigel Farage visits a butcher's shop in Sutton-in-Ashfield Reuters 66/78 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon visits Blosson Tree children's nursery AFP via Getty 67/78 Jeremy Corbyn laughs during a visit to the Scrap Creative Reuse Arts Project, Sunny Bank Mills Getty 68/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson hold Rosie the rabbit during a visit to a primary school while on the campaign trail in Taunton AFP via Getty 69/78 Jo Swinson playing with children at the Battersea Arts Centre in Lavender Hill PA 70/78 Farage addresses supporters at the Washington Central Hotel in Workington PA 71/78 Jeremy Corbyn poses with Labour activists as they canvas in Govan, Glasgow PA 72/78 Nicola Sturgeon during a visit to The Shed, a Climate Challenge community project at North Edinburgh Arts PA 73/78 Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets six month old Willow Rose Anderson, at the Lych Gate Tavern in Wolverhampton PA 74/78 Jo Swinson holds up a sack of barley during a visit to Crafty Maltsters Scotland Getty 75/78 Jeremy Corbyn tries a scone in Bentley, Doncaster PA 76/78 Nigel Farage takes a mouthful of homemade cheesecake during a stop at the Grimsby Seafood Village PA 77/78 Boris Johnson hauling a consignment of frozen chocolate gateaux, during a visit to Iceland Foods HQ in Deeside PA 78/78 Jo Swinson puts on a high visibility jacket during a visit to Sigma Pharmaceuticals, a family run pharmaceutical wholesaler in Watford AFP via Getty

However, Mr Corbyn said he said: “What I have here is… 451 pages of unredacted documents and information …which is a very different version of events.

“Perhaps he would like to explain why these documents confirm the US is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks.

“These uncensored documents leave Boris Johnson’s denials in absolute tatters. Voters need to ask themselves some very serious questions – Is the NHS safe in Boris Johnson’s hands?

“We’ve now got evidence that under Boris Johnson, the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale. They tried to cover it up. Their secret agenda today is exposed.”

Mr Corbyn said that the documents showed that Mr Johnson’s promise to “get Brexit done” was “a fraud on the British people”.

He said they made clear that US corporations were seeking to force up the prices the NHS pays for drugs and to extend the duration of patents which allow the companies to maximise income from their medicines.

“Negotiations have advanced even further than we feared they had,” he said. “The US and the UK have already finished initial discussions on lengthening patents for medicines.

“Longer patents can mean only one thing – more expensive drugs. Lives will be put at risk as a result of this.”

UK officials had reported that their US counterparts want "total market access” as the “baseline assumption of the trade negotiations”. And they said that the US could expect the UK to be "a liberalising influence” and that together they could “fly the good flag for services liberalisation”.

Mr Corbyn said: "That’s a green light for breaking open Britain’s public services so corporations can profit from them."

And he warned: "The US is demanding that our NHS is on the table in negotiations for a toxic deal – it’s already being talked about in secret. That could lead to runaway privatisation of our health service.

"Mega-corporations see Johnson’s alliance with Trump as a chance to make billions from the illness and sickness of people in this country.

"And if the Conservatives have their way and this deal goes forward, the changes I’ve revealed will be almost irreversible."

He said that as well as healthcare, the documents showed the talks had covered areas like food safety, workers' rights and gender discrimination where the US was seeking to tear down UK regulatory barriers.

And they show an absolute refusal from Washington for climate change to be mentioned in any final deal, he said.

Mr Corbyn said: "It seems to me that it’s now on Boris Johnson to explain how all of this is an 'absolute invention'... To explain why he denied the very things we can now read in black and white. He must now come clean about the Conservatives’ sell-out plans for our NHS."

Responding to the claims, Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, said: “Jeremy Corbyn is getting desperate and is out-and-out lying to the public about what these documents contain. He has always believed in conspiracy theories - which is why he has failed to crack down on the scourge of antisemitism in his party. This is the man that has caused huge offence by blaming an imaginary ‘Zionist lobby’ for society’s ills and now he has decided to smear UK officials too.

“People should not believe a word that he says - this stunt is simply a smokescreen for the fact that he has no plan for Brexit and that he has been forced to admit that he wants to increase taxes for millions of families.

“As we have consistently made clear: the NHS will not be on the table in any future trade deal and the price that the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table. This sort of conspiracy theory fuelled nonsense is not befitting of the leader of a major political party.”