UK Reaches Trade Deals with US, India Sparking Jobs and Immigration Concerns

The UK government's recent trade deals have sparked significant debate and concern regarding their impact on British workers. A newly struck agreement with the US was hailed as historic, preventing imminent job losses in key British industries by drastically reducing tariffs on cars and steel, which had previously threatened thousands of jobs. Conversely, the trade deal with India has provoked controversy, particularly over a concession exempting Indian workers transferred to the UK from paying National Insurance contributions for three years, a move criticized for potentially disadvantaging British workers and costing the government up to £200 million annually. While Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer defended the India deal as a growth opportunity and dismissed claims of job undercutting as nonsense, Conservative critics argue it incentivizes increased immigration and undercuts local workers. The expansion of the Global Business Mobility Visa under the India deal to include a broader range of occupations has fueled fears of rising foreign worker numbers amid a public desire to reduce migration. Overall, while the US deal is seen as a lifeline to British industry, the India agreement remains politically contentious, with opposition figures accusing the government of prioritizing trade over workers’ interests.