Havent read the minutes yet, the JCVI decision has always seemed irrational so perhaps I should. The long term benefit of natural infection in children is presumably that you no longer have a reservoir of people who can be infected and spread disease. With less infection you also have less risk of new variants. However you can achieve the same aim by vaccination.
I feel to see what is achieved by natural infection that would not be achieved by vaccination - and achieved with less risk to 12-15 year old children. I havent seen the data for younger children yet, it may be true for them too.
It does seem like the infection of children was actually a deliberate policy - with the entirely predictable consequence that they have spread the disease to some of their parents and even some grandparents.
As for politically motivated attacks - some Americans wish to see the NHS collapse, lovely opportunity to make profits. It also removes the pressure to fund health care differently in the US. Not sure where all the doctors are going to come from to make the Americans their extra profits from private care though.