Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson, speaks during a campaign event to celebrate the result of the general election in central London on December 13, 2019. (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images)
Britons Gear Up to Defend NHS From Privatization Scheme as Tories Win Strong Majority in UK Election
"We will defend our public services—especially the NHS—from attempts to degrade or destroy them, and support, as well as we are able, the overworked heroes who keep them afloat."
After U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Tory party won a strong majority in the general election Thursday, British progressives mourned the "utterly devastating" result and geared up for a fight to defend the National Health Service from more right-wing budget cuts and privatization efforts.
"People running our NHS are crying out for more help, begging people not to vote Conservative due to the constant cuts," tweeted London-based activist Ellen Rose. "Seems they were ignored by the people they try to save every day."
"The fight goes on. We need to occupy every single space with our politics louder and stronger. Protest the privatization of the NHS, defend migrants, fight evictions, take care of your neighbors."
--Hasan Patel
Following his victory, which is expected to give the Conservatives a 75-seat majority, Johnson declared that the election result has granted him "a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done."
Just two weeks before the vote, U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unveiled over 450 pages of documents that he said showed a Tory plan to privatize the NHS in negotiations with the U.S. over a possible post-Brexit trade pact.
"Mega-corporations see Johnson's alliance with Trump as a chance to make billions from the illness and sickness of people in this country," said Corbyn. "And if the Conservatives have their way and this deal goes forward, the changes I've revealed will be almost irreversible."
As Common Dreams reported, documents obtained by the Daily Mirror last month showed that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry is lobbying trade negotiators to open the British drug market as part of any new trade agreement.
In a tweet Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Johnson on his "great win"and said "Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after Brexit."
"This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U.," Trump added. "Celebrate Boris!"
Trump has previously insisted that "everything" will be on the table in trade negotiations with the U.K., including the NHS.
In a series of tweets early Friday, Guardian columnist George Monbiot said "mass resistance" and an organized movement will be necessary to protect the people and programs the U.K.'s right-wing government is likely to target.
"We will defend our public services--especially the NHS--from attempts to degrade or destroy them, and support, as well as we are able, the overworked heroes who keep them afloat," said Monbiot. "We will divide up the tasks, but always in the knowledge that we're working together. Love and courage to you all."
"The fight goes on," added activist Hasan Patel. "We need to occupy every single space with our politics louder and stronger. Protest the privatization of the NHS, defend migrants, fight evictions, take care of your neighbors."
Supporters of the Medicare for All in the United States expressed solidarity with British progressives following Thursday's election.
"Our friends in the U.K. are about to have to fight like hell to defend their NHS," said Jacobin's Meagan Day. "We Americans who are fighting for Medicare for All will stand with you."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
After U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Tory party won a strong majority in the general election Thursday, British progressives mourned the "utterly devastating" result and geared up for a fight to defend the National Health Service from more right-wing budget cuts and privatization efforts.
"People running our NHS are crying out for more help, begging people not to vote Conservative due to the constant cuts," tweeted London-based activist Ellen Rose. "Seems they were ignored by the people they try to save every day."
"The fight goes on. We need to occupy every single space with our politics louder and stronger. Protest the privatization of the NHS, defend migrants, fight evictions, take care of your neighbors."
--Hasan Patel
Following his victory, which is expected to give the Conservatives a 75-seat majority, Johnson declared that the election result has granted him "a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done."
Just two weeks before the vote, U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unveiled over 450 pages of documents that he said showed a Tory plan to privatize the NHS in negotiations with the U.S. over a possible post-Brexit trade pact.
"Mega-corporations see Johnson's alliance with Trump as a chance to make billions from the illness and sickness of people in this country," said Corbyn. "And if the Conservatives have their way and this deal goes forward, the changes I've revealed will be almost irreversible."
As Common Dreams reported, documents obtained by the Daily Mirror last month showed that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry is lobbying trade negotiators to open the British drug market as part of any new trade agreement.
In a tweet Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Johnson on his "great win"and said "Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after Brexit."
"This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U.," Trump added. "Celebrate Boris!"
Trump has previously insisted that "everything" will be on the table in trade negotiations with the U.K., including the NHS.
In a series of tweets early Friday, Guardian columnist George Monbiot said "mass resistance" and an organized movement will be necessary to protect the people and programs the U.K.'s right-wing government is likely to target.
"We will defend our public services--especially the NHS--from attempts to degrade or destroy them, and support, as well as we are able, the overworked heroes who keep them afloat," said Monbiot. "We will divide up the tasks, but always in the knowledge that we're working together. Love and courage to you all."
"The fight goes on," added activist Hasan Patel. "We need to occupy every single space with our politics louder and stronger. Protest the privatization of the NHS, defend migrants, fight evictions, take care of your neighbors."
Supporters of the Medicare for All in the United States expressed solidarity with British progressives following Thursday's election.
"Our friends in the U.K. are about to have to fight like hell to defend their NHS," said Jacobin's Meagan Day. "We Americans who are fighting for Medicare for All will stand with you."
After U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Tory party won a strong majority in the general election Thursday, British progressives mourned the "utterly devastating" result and geared up for a fight to defend the National Health Service from more right-wing budget cuts and privatization efforts.
"People running our NHS are crying out for more help, begging people not to vote Conservative due to the constant cuts," tweeted London-based activist Ellen Rose. "Seems they were ignored by the people they try to save every day."
"The fight goes on. We need to occupy every single space with our politics louder and stronger. Protest the privatization of the NHS, defend migrants, fight evictions, take care of your neighbors."
--Hasan Patel
Following his victory, which is expected to give the Conservatives a 75-seat majority, Johnson declared that the election result has granted him "a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done."
Just two weeks before the vote, U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unveiled over 450 pages of documents that he said showed a Tory plan to privatize the NHS in negotiations with the U.S. over a possible post-Brexit trade pact.
"Mega-corporations see Johnson's alliance with Trump as a chance to make billions from the illness and sickness of people in this country," said Corbyn. "And if the Conservatives have their way and this deal goes forward, the changes I've revealed will be almost irreversible."
As Common Dreams reported, documents obtained by the Daily Mirror last month showed that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry is lobbying trade negotiators to open the British drug market as part of any new trade agreement.
In a tweet Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Johnson on his "great win"and said "Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after Brexit."
"This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U.," Trump added. "Celebrate Boris!"
Trump has previously insisted that "everything" will be on the table in trade negotiations with the U.K., including the NHS.
In a series of tweets early Friday, Guardian columnist George Monbiot said "mass resistance" and an organized movement will be necessary to protect the people and programs the U.K.'s right-wing government is likely to target.
"We will defend our public services--especially the NHS--from attempts to degrade or destroy them, and support, as well as we are able, the overworked heroes who keep them afloat," said Monbiot. "We will divide up the tasks, but always in the knowledge that we're working together. Love and courage to you all."
"The fight goes on," added activist Hasan Patel. "We need to occupy every single space with our politics louder and stronger. Protest the privatization of the NHS, defend migrants, fight evictions, take care of your neighbors."
Supporters of the Medicare for All in the United States expressed solidarity with British progressives following Thursday's election.
"Our friends in the U.K. are about to have to fight like hell to defend their NHS," said Jacobin's Meagan Day. "We Americans who are fighting for Medicare for All will stand with you."