Nigel Lawson said the NHS was the closest thing the English had to a religion but for progressives it now forms the basis of a viral conspiracy theory. Namely, that a shadowy nexus of Tory ministers, private insurance giants, Big Pharma and the United States government is working to abolish the NHS before our eyes. As with all conspiracy theories, this one pieces together facts and semi-facts (private health firms would, of course, like a bigger slice of the market; yes, some Tory politicians want more privatisation) into a collage of inferences, connections forced and motives assigned, at the top of which sits the Emmanuel Goldstein du jour.
The latest iteration of the conspiracy theory is that Donald Trump is conniving to snatch Britain’s health service and hand it to US corporations to divvy up for spoils. But those wishing to protest the Brexiteer plot to sell off the NHS in trade talks should be asked to consider the environment and recycle the placards from their earlier protests against the EU plot to
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