CAMPAIGNERS in Winchester fighting alleged privatisation of the NHS are hoping to gather around one million signatures for their cause.

Winchester organisers of the 38 Degress group, Lizzie and Josh Christian, spent three hours at the Buttercross on Saturday encouraging residents and prospective MPs to sign their petition.

They said they gained more than 1,400 signatures on Saturday alone and expect around one million across the UK.

Ms Christian said: “This is our last push of our five year campaign to save the NHS and to stop the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). The idea is this is going to every prospective parliamentary candidate and to get them to commit to stop the NHS sale. We have had a really good response and, by the end of the day, we will have one million [signatures] across the country.”

Prospective Liberal Democrat MP Jackie Porter said she hoped the issue would not simply become “a bed pan to kick around” in the first few weeks of the new Parliament forming.

“I support the principle that the NHS is for the people and not for big businesses,” she said. “I have slight reservations but I’m really worried about the money that’s being spent commissioning tenders when it should be spent on clinical services.”