In this episode of the Institute of Economic Affairs Podcast, host Reem Ibrahim, Communications Manager and Linda Whetstone Scholar, is joined by Tom Clougherty, Executive Director, and Kristian Niemietz, Editorial Director, to discuss the recent US & India UK trade deals and Northern Ireland's new approach to the National Health Service.
The discussion begins with an analysis of the UK-India trade deal, which eliminates 99% of tariffs for the UK and 90% for India. The panel examines the economic benefits of the agreement while expressing disappointment about how some politicians, particularly on the right, focused heavily on National Insurance exemptions for Indian workers rather than celebrating the trade benefits. The conversation then shifts to the US-UK trade agreement, which removes tariffs on steel, aluminium, and establishes quotas for beef and cars, though the panel notes it falls short of a comprehensive free trade agreement.
The final segment examines Northern Ireland's new NHS policy that allows patients on long waiting lists to seek treatment abroad, initially in the Republic of Ireland with plans to extend to the EU, and claim reimbursement up to what treatment would have cost in Northern Ireland. The panel discusses how this approach expands patient choice and could relieve pressure on the Northern Irish NHS, though it currently applies to a limited list of treatments and requires patients to pay upfront before claiming costs back.
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