Farage hypocritically attacks TTIP’s – and therefore the EU’s – threat to the NHS

Last Updated: March 4, 2016By
Nigel Farage: This image describes his politics better than words.

Nigel Farage.

How nice that Nigel Farage has finally noticed that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership threatens the NHS.

How hypocritical of him to use that as a reason to leave the EU, considering he supports insurance-based health (he would; he’s rich).

And how remiss of him not to realise that the Conservative Government intends to sign its own NHS-killing trade deals, whether in or out of the European Union.

One is led to wonder what his point is, exactly.

Nigel Farage has raised fears that the NHS could be privatised if Britain votes to stay in the European Union – even though he personally backs an insurance-based health system run by private companies.

The Ukip leader said the TTIP trade deal between the US and Europe would allow the NHS to be privatised “through the back door”.

Speaking on his weekly phone-in on LBC Radio, Farage said the transatlantic trade and investment partnership, set to be agreed later this year, would “allow giant American corporations to bid for contracts within the National Health Service”.

He added: “There are many people that fear that this could be the privatisation of the National Health Service through the back door. So the trade union movement, who have been fairly uncritical of the EU for the last 25 year or so, are suddenly up in arms about this.”

Source: Staying in EU could lead to backdoor privatisation of NHS, says Nigel Farage | Politics | The Guardian

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14 Comments

  1. Barry Davies March 4, 2016 at 4:48 pm - Reply

    You are well behind the times, UKIP has been against the TTIP, the only party that is, and especially the threat it has for the NHS since the idea was first mooted. The tory party plans are not hose of UKIP or even influenced by UKIP, just as the labour parties imposition of far more PFI deals in the NHS than the tories have managed also was nothing to do with UKIP.

    • Mike Sivier March 5, 2016 at 1:18 pm - Reply

      UKIP only opposes TTIP because it is being negotiated by the EU. It would seek a similar deal with the US if the UK was outside the EU.

      • Barry Davies March 5, 2016 at 1:43 pm - Reply

        No Mike UKIP are against TTIP because it would be bad for Britain, not because it is going to be agreed by a bunch of unelected failed politicians who make up the brussels governing body, but because UKIP believes in Britain and wants what is best for it. Garage actually said you should pay a fine for missed appointments something very different to what you are claiming Terry.

        • Mike Sivier March 5, 2016 at 1:44 pm - Reply

          Again with the “unelected” tripe. Look, your information on that is wrong. Therefore your information on anything else is questionable. UKIP’s position on TTIP has been well-stated in the past, and it is that UKIP would happily help negotiate a similar trade deal with the US.

      • Barry Davies March 5, 2016 at 1:52 pm - Reply

        Mike please tell me which one of the commission you personally voted for, and when did you have a vote on any of the myriad of eu presidents, your only vote was for MEP’s who have the least amount of power in the whole edifice so tell me why is it unelected tripe?

        • Mike Sivier March 5, 2016 at 1:54 pm - Reply

          The Commission has no real power at all. It suggests legislation, but MEPs vote it in, and MPs in the UK ratify it.
          I really wish you would take a little time to research how the EU works, rather than peddling nonsense.

      • Barry Davies March 5, 2016 at 2:00 pm - Reply

        If you believe the commission has no power you are not paying attention at all, it is the only body that can introduce legislation and if any body tries to alter it it renews the legislation exactly as it was, it was the commission that demanded that Spain and Ireland voted again on referenda that didn’t go the way it wanted them to go, so you need to read up on what really happens in brussels.

        • Mike Sivier March 5, 2016 at 3:16 pm - Reply

          The Commission didn’t demand that Ireland vote again on the Lisbon Treaty.
          Ireland itself decided to hold a second referendum provided it obtained certain guarantees, and did obtain guarantees on issues such as abortion not being affected by the Treaty. Therefore many consider it was perfectly acceptable for the Irish people to vote again on the Lisbon Treaty with the concessions in mind.
          As for Spain… Remind me, when was that?

      • Barry Davies March 5, 2016 at 7:04 pm - Reply

        No the Irish the dutch and the french did not decide to have another referendum all by themselves they were told to by the commission the spanish referendum in 2000 was thought to have been doctored to aid the commission.

        • Mike Sivier March 9, 2016 at 3:17 pm - Reply

          Citation needed.

  2. Terry Davies March 5, 2016 at 8:27 am - Reply

    dont believe Farage he wants GPs to be paid for by patients when their services are used. Surely this is privatisation of Primary Care services.

  3. mohandeer March 6, 2016 at 9:58 pm - Reply

    Barry ~Davies: The question of ring fencing the NHS in the UK to protect it from any privatisation was voted on in the EU parliament over a year ago. In my cack handed filing system I have the information. I remember that OUR MEP’s had the chance to vote to protect it. All but one of the UKIP MEP’s voted to protect it, the majority of Tories(but not all) several Labour (but not all) and even a few Lib Dem/Others. I remember signing a petition asking my own MEP to sign to protect the NHS. That reminds me, I don’t think I ever got an answer from him. It was always in the hands of MEP’s, which it won’t be if we leave the EU, to protect the NHS. Only MEP’s can stop the EU from ratifying a TTIP deal because if left to the Conservatives, we’ll sign up for it. Then we will lose the NHS to the US private run corporates.

    • Mike Sivier March 7, 2016 at 12:39 am - Reply

      My recollection is that UKIP and the Tories DIDN’T sign up to protect the NHS, but the other parties did. Will check later.

    • Barry March 9, 2016 at 11:00 pm - Reply

      If we are not in the eu it won’t make any difference to only the commission being able to stop what they are negotiating, but it will mean we are not legally constrained by it.

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