Jeremy Corbyn says leaked documents prove Boris Johnson's denials 'in tatters' and NHS is up for sale under Tories

READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn holds press conference claiming to show unredacted documents exposing US-NHS trade talks 

But Tory HQ hit back quickly, insisting the unredacted documents had been available online for two months while Liz Truss, the International Trade Secretary, accused Mr Corbyn of peddling “conspiracy theory-fuelled nonsense” and branded him an out-and-out liar.

With NHS staff from local hospitals sitting in the front row of the Labour campaign event in London, it began with a video of the Prime Minister during the recent televised head-to-head with Mr Corbyn when he emphatically denied the NHS would be up for sale in a post-Brexit trade deal with America.

But holding up the redacted version of a record of the UK-US talks, released by the UK Government, as well as the leaked unredacted documents, he asked Mr Johnson to explain why the latter “confirm the US is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks?”

Mr Corbyn insisted the uncensored documents left the Tory leader’s denials “in absolute tatters”.

He went on: “Voters need to ask themselves some very serious questions: is the NHS safe in Boris Johnson’s hands?

“We’ve now got evidence that under Boris Johnson the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale. He tried to cover it up in a secret agenda but today it’s been exposed.

“Now we know the truth, when Johnson says: ‘Get Brexit done,’ it’s a fraud on the British people. This is the reality; years of bogged-down negotiations and our NHS is up for sale.

“This election is now a fight for the survival of our National Health Service as a public service free for all at the point of need,” declared the Labour leader.

He explained the 451 pages covered six rounds of negotiations, taking place in Washington and in London, starting in July 2107 to "just a few months ago".

Mr Corbyn suggested that the documents showed talks had already been concluded between the two sides on lengthening patents, which would push up the price of medicines in the UK.

"Longer patents can only mean one thing: more expensive drugs. Lives will be put at risk as a result of this," he insisted.

The Labour leader gave the example of the drug Humira - used to treat Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis - which cost the NHS £1,409 a packet but in the US the price was £8,115.

Mr Corbyn said that according to the readout of the second meeting, UK officials noted the "patent issues" around "NHS access to generic drugs will be a key consideration" in talks.

By at the fourth meeting, he said, the officials on the two sides were ready to "exchange text" and to "really take significant further steps"; suggesting the negotiations were at a "very advanced stage".

Barry Gardiner, the Shadow International Trade Secretary, sitting alongside his party leader, was asked what firm proof there was within the documents that UK ministers were preparing to sell off the NHS.

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He insisted: “It doesn’t take six meetings and four hundred and forty odd pages to say the NHS is not for sale. You have to be realistic,” and holding up the redacted documents, added: “That is a very long way of saying no; in fact, it’s saying yes and let’s discuss how.”

For the Conservatives Liz Truss launched a combative response, saying: “Jeremy Corbyn is getting desperate and is out-and-out lying to the public about what these documents contain.

“He has always believed in conspiracy theories, which is why he has failed to crack down on the scourge of anti-Semitism in his party. This is the man that has caused huge offence by blaming an imaginary ‘Zionist lobby’ for society’s ills and now he has decided to smear UK officials too.

“People should not believe a word that he says; this stunt is simply a smokescreen for the fact that he has no plan for Brexit and that he has been forced to admit that he wants to increase taxes for millions of families,” insisted the International Trade Secretary.

She added: “As we have consistently made clear: the NHS will not be on the table in any future trade deal and the price that the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table. This sort of conspiracy theory-fuelled nonsense is not befitting of the leader of a major political party.”

In the Question and Answer session following his speech, Mr Corbyn faced more enquiries about the anti-Semitism row and why he had not apologised for the way it had been handled when pressed four times to do so.

Insisting anti-Semitism was unacceptable in any form either in the Labour Party or across society as a whole, he pointed out how he had previously “offered sympathies and apologies” to those who had suffered from anti-Semitism and set up stronger internal processes to deal with it.

While acknowledging the stark criticisms of Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the Labour leader pointed out there were many Jews who supported Labour.

Stressing anti-Semitism was “vile and wrong,” Mr Corbyn declared a future Labour Government would be “the most anti-racist Government we have ever seen because that is what I have spent my whole life doing; fighting against racism. I will die fighting against racism in any form. It is a poison and a scourge.”

Asked about the prospect of a post-election deal with the SNP should Labour become the largest party in a hung parliament, the Labour leader added: “There are no talks with any other parties; we’re fighting this election to win it. We’re not fighting to form a coalition. We’re not fighting to do a deal with other parties.

“We are fighting proudly as the Labour Party on our manifesto and I hope we will go into Government on December 13 to start righting some of the wrongs and injustices that austerity has brought to this country and I’m proud of the manifesto on which we are fighting the election.”