The people have spoken. More than two-thirds of voters in key marginal constituencies have sent a strong message to David Cameron to protect the NHS from being sold out to corporate interests under the secret Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal.

But despite these clear words from us, David Cameron has refused to come out publicly in defence of our NHS. As it stands, TTIP would give US corporations unprecedented access to the NHS and irrevocably cement the sell-out of the NHS to corporate interests.

Cameron has to stop sitting on the fence on the protection of our NHS -- or risk losing out at the upcoming general election.

David Cameron: publicly announce that the NHS will be exempt from the TTIP negotiations.

If TTIP goes ahead, the NHS will be at the mercy of corporate interests and investors who place their own profits over the health of the patients.

TTIP also includes provisions that mean corporations can sue governments in secret back-room deals if governments introduce initiatives (including public health regulation) that could reduce a company’s profits.

Under similar regulations, tobacco giant Philip Morris is currently suing the Australian governments for billions of dollars for a new public health law that restricts the sale of cigarettes.

TTIP in effect means that we give corporate interests unlimited access to our health care but make it impossible for national governments to affect legislation on protecting our health. Corporations’ greed for profit and not the public interest would dictate public health policy under TTIP.

How can politicians give away our most important right: our right to free and universal healthcare?

There is a simple solution: David Cameron could just demand that no mention of the health services should be made in TTIP -- as the British Medical Association (BMA) has demanded.

The poll clearly shows what David Cameron has been reluctant to accept: healthcare is an issue we feel extremely strongly about -- no matter our political affiliations. If we send a strong message to David Cameron now that this his neglect of protecting our NHS, he will have to listen to the public’s concern or risk an electoral liability.

David Cameron: Publicly and unequivocally state that you are going to exempt health from the EU US trade agreement TTIP.

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More information:

Two-third of voters in Tory marginals want NHS exempt from US trade pact, The Guardian, 7 August 2014 

On TTIP and the NHS, they are trying to bamboozle us, Open Democracy, 15 July 2014