LETTER: Any trade deal is likely to be one-sided

Theresa May, however, was the ninth national leader to be phoned by the victorious Trump; which probably gives us a clearer view of what the situation really is. Any trade deal is likely to be as one-sided as the so-called special relationship.

A while back, there was much anxiety over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which the EU was negotiating with the US.

The likes of Cameron and Theresa May seemed quite unconcerned that TTIP could allow American companies to enforce the piecemeal privatisation of the NHS through the courts.

Some people probably saw Brexit as a way of defending ourselves from such “partnerships”, but the EU ended up abandoning TTIP anyway.

There was always a danger that a Brexit Britain would negotiate a bilateral agreement with the US that is even worse than TTIP and we would say that this danger is now acute.

Theresa May insists that she must negotiate with the EU in secret, because showing her hand would weaken it. We can expect her to take the same line on negotiations with Trump; but if we value the NHS, we cannot afford to allow this secret plotting. On his side of the “pond”, Trump is committed to abolishing “Obamacare” and will have no scruples about helping to destroy the NHS here.

This lovely man is hailed by the Ku Klux Klan, Vladimir Putin, Marine Le Pen and Islamist jihadis; not to mention the predatory US business community.

He would just love to see all-American sharks taking chunks out of our healthcare and education systems – and whatever else may fall prey to the feeding frenzy.

Martin Hillman

David Ellis

Hawks Road, Hailsham