The world of trade is usually reserved for the wonkiest of policy wonks. But after Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ a month ago, this week the UK announced trade deals with India and the US. Against a woeful economic backdrop, this is a serious boon to the Prime Minister. Becoming the first country in the world to agree a deal with the US President is an achievement not to be shirked at. A UK-US deal could chart a path for other agreements with other countries.
Starmer claimed this deal is the national interest. But is it really?
But is this deal as good as Number 10 is claiming? As a former special adviser in the Department for International Trade during the Trump’s first presidency and the Brexit negotiations, here are my top six things to watch out for.
This isn’t the deal that was on the table in previous years
The UK and US have been ‘negotiating’ a trade agreement for a lot longer than since February.

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