It should have been a triumph. We might not have managed to get a trade with the United States over the line, and we are still waiting for the long-promised ‘reset’ with the European Union. But the Labour government has managed to complete a major trade deal with India, and that should prove a significant boost for the British economy. There is just one catch. By clumsily exempting temporary Indian workers from National Insurance contributions Sir Keir Starmer has blown it – and the deal will be permanently tarnished.
By clumsily exempting temporary Indian workers from National Insurance contributions Sir Keir Starmer has blown it
The US may remain the biggest prize, but India is not far behind. It is already set to be the fourth largest economy in the world this year, and given both its favourable demographics and growth rates may one day overtake both America and China as the largest.
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