THE Tories have repeatedly asked the public to simply trust, despite mounting evidence to the contrary, their promise that the NHS is “not for sale” in any future trade deals with the US. During the 2019 General Election, Labour obtained proof that the NHS was ‘on the table’ in secretive talks between Britain’s negotiators and US representatives.

Yet rather than take these worrying claims seriously, much of the media instead chose to allege that Labour was somehow colluding with Russian attempts to interfere with British democracy — an outrageously false distraction that must have left Number 10 spin doctors rubbing their hands in glee.

Last week provided the government with an opportunity to put these fears to bed, as Labour tabled an amendment to its post-Brexit Trade Bill explicitly stating that the NHS would be excluded from any future trade agreements. This was supported by more than 400 doctors and health professionals. Yet, rather than deliver on their promise, not a single Tory MP voted for the amendment — which was defeated by 89 votes.