Showing his true Remain colours, Jeremy Hunt has failed to learn anything from the EU Referendum. His sheer ignorance of the impact a 'hard' Brexit would have on this country demonstrates that like many of the Westminster elite who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU, he cannot comprehend that the biggest threat to his beloved NHS is in fact the very institution he would prefer the UK to remain a member of.
Who else remembers the debate over the NHS in the build-up to June 23rd last year? Many Brexit campaigners on both sides of the political spectrum feared the impact the EU's proposed trade deal with the US, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, would have on our health service.
The left were anxious it would lead to privatisation of the health service whilst the right regarded TTIP as a threat to democracy.
'Britain receives a poorer deal in terms of treating EU citizens.'
It is no secret that Britain receives a poorer deal in terms of treating EU citizens compared to European countries. John Mann MP released figures during a parliamentary question proving the UK loses money by failing to charge European citizens who exploit the NHS whilst visiting the UK. However, European health systems benefit from the health insurance British tourists have to purchase prior to visiting Europe. It is a disparity that this country, as The Spectator revealed in a column last year, that cannot be addressed until we quit the trading bloc.
It is a shame many European workers feel discouraged from applying to join the NHS, yet Brexit provides us with an opportunity to solve this crisis by employing nurses and doctors from across the globe. Ignore Mr. Hunt's comments about our EU exit; if he truly cared about the health service, he would have joined the Vote Leave campaign last year to save it from the threat the EU poses to free healthcare.
