Jeremy Corbyn will see Donald Trump at tonight’s NATO reception - and has revealed what he’ll tell the US President when they meet.
The Labour leader confirmed he will attend the glittering reception at Buckingham Palace - despite refusing to attend a banquet in Trump’s honour in June.
If the pair meet, Mr Corbyn said, he would press him for specific assurances on the boundaries of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.
He told BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine: “Treat him with respect as I would anybody else.
“And also make very clear that any trade relationship with the USA will not involve investor protection for US companies and will absolutely not involve access to our public services and crucially of course our national health service.”
Asked why he wasn’t planning to boycott tonight’s event, as he did with the banquet during June’s state visit, he said: “I didn't go to the banquet because we were not in favour of a state visit. This is a visit because of the NATO summit that's taking place, that's absolutely fair enough."
He added: “I have met President Obama when he came and I met President Obama for a long discussion privately actually, which was fascinating.“
President Trump this morning claimed that he would put the NHS on the table in trade talks even if it was on a “silver platter.”
Mr Corbyn said: “I’m pleased that he's said that, but if that's the case why have these talks gone on for two years? Why have they been kept secret?”
He said he would say to President Trump: “Welcome to this country, I hope you'll understand how precious our National Health Service is and in any future trade relationship with the USA none of our public services are on the table, none of our public services are for sale and investor state protection is not acceptable to our government when we have won this election.”
And if he agrees, Mr Corbyn said he would “say thank you very much, I assume that will be the basis of your administration's talks with our department of trade.”
