UK election at-a-glance: Corbyn would meet Trump, HIV drugs for all and devolution
Updated 03:30, 02-Dec-2019
Katherine Berjikian
Europe;United Kingdom
Corbyn said that cuts to social services could lead to 'missed chances' in stopping terrorist attacks (Credit: AFP/ Paul Ellis)

Corbyn said that cuts to social services could lead to 'missed chances' in stopping terrorist attacks (Credit: AFP/ Paul Ellis)

Jeremy Corbyn warns US he won't sell off the NHS

Jeremy Corbyn said that he would meet with President Donald Trump if he became UK Prime Minister but insists the National Health Service (NHS) will not be part of trade talks.

Corbyn says despite criticism directed at him by the US president in the past he will maintain a close working relationship with the USA. 

In a speech at York College, Corbyn said "Yes, I have made many criticisms of President Trump, indeed he has been good enough to make some at me as well. But that's okay...we will meet the US administration, as we will meet members of the House and the Senate, and obviously there is a close relationship with the USA, and that is as it should be." 

Corbyn also referred to leaked documents that he claims show the United States pushed the UK to change the way they were selling drugs in the country during preliminary trade talks , giving more money to US pharmaceutical companies. 

Prime Minster Boris Johnson responded to the accusation that the National Health Service (NHS) was 'on the table' by saying that these leaked documents were from early negotiations and that these changes would not be made to the NHS. 

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being trailed in England to determine demand for the drug (Credit: Reuters/ Dylan Martinez)

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being trailed in England to determine demand for the drug (Credit: Reuters/ Dylan Martinez)

Wider access to HIV drugs 

Both the Lib Dems and Labour have promised to increase access to the HIV prevention drug Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) if they win the general election. PrEP is a daily pill that helps prevent a person from contracting HIV if their partner already has the virus.

While the pill is already accessible in other countries, like the United States, it is not equally accessible across the UK because the NHS is a devolved power. Patients in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland can already have access to the drug, but patients in England have to be part of a 15,700 patient trial to get a prescription.

Labour has promised that the drug will be accessible for anyone who wants it in the UK and the Lib Dem has said that the drug will be free.

Johnson blames Labour for Khan's release

The BBC waved their requirement for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be interviewed by Andrew Neil before the popular Andrew Marr show because of the recent terrorist attack (Credit: AFP/Jeff Overs)

The BBC waved their requirement for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be interviewed by Andrew Neil before the popular Andrew Marr show because of the recent terrorist attack (Credit: AFP/Jeff Overs)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked why the man responsible for the London Bridge terrorist attack on 29 November, Usama Khan, was released from prison after only serving half of his sentence. 

Khan only served 8 years of his 16 year sentence for previously planning a terrorist attack before he was let out of prison on automatic release. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, responded by placing the blame on previous Labour polices even though the Labour party has not been in office since 2010.

He said: "[Usama Khan] was out because he was on automatic early release. When the judges reviewed his sentence in 2012 they had no option but to comply with the law that Labour brought in in 2008.” 

Marr challenged this by pointing out that the Conservatives have been in power for almost a decade and that "there is nothing in your manifesto that would have changed this case, is there?”

The NHS has been a contentious issue in the UK because it has lost funding over the past decade because of austerity, and a record number of people are waiting for treatments (Credit: VCG)

The NHS has been a contentious issue in the UK because it has lost funding over the past decade because of austerity, and a record number of people are waiting for treatments (Credit: VCG)

UK election jargon buster: Devolution 

Devolution is a political system in the UK in which certain parts of the government is transferred to regional powers, i.e. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, these powers are not distributed equally among these regional powers and some countries have more powers than others. 

For example, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own judicial systems, but Wales still follows England's judicial system. 

The NHS is also a devolved organisation, which means that the NHS works differently in each part of the UK. While prescriptions are around $10 in England, but they are free in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.