Hope MPs defend NHS

THE House of Commons has had perhaps its only chance to discuss the sort of trade deals the Conservatives will make with the rest of the world after Brexit.

This isn’t just about tariff prices and importing avocados, cars or the price of medicines, though it may include all these. It also includes the sorts of things that are traded and put out for sale.

“Trade” is an umbrella term going beyond the Arndale Market and often spinning off to be paired with international investment – such as we see with Chinese money pouring into Manchester.

Manchester MPs like to be photographed with placards identifying them with NHS campaigns. Will they stand up for it in the face of eager pressure from US healthcare and pharmaceutical companies eager for the UK market who may see the NHS as a cashcow?

And will they stand up to protect Manchester’s small and mediumsized enterprises threatened by foreign “big boys”, and to object to the further spread of one-sided corporate courts which allow corporations to sue governments for perceived limitations to their future actions and profits?

Members of 38 Degrees, War on Want, and Global Justice Now have been been emailing MPs.

Let’s hope they’ll be faithful to the stances they’ve claimed in the past.

Concerned, via email