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Elected officials have expressed alarm that the United Kingdom's recent agreements with Donald Trump are "fundamentally unstable." This stems from revelations that a recently announced deal on pharmaceutical tariffs, which promises zero tariffs in exchange for the NHS facing higher prices, lacks any formal legal text beyond limited headline terms published in government press releases.

An Agreement in Principle Only

The US-UK pharmaceuticals agreement, described as a "landmark" achievement, is still an "statement of intent" without detailed provisions. Observers point out that the press releases from the UK and US governments present the deal in sharply different terms. The British version focuses on securing "zero per cent tariffs" as a singular success, while the American announcement concentrates on the agreement for the NHS to pay higher prices for new medications.

"The danger exists that the UK government has promised concessions to increase medicine costs in return for little more than a verbal promise from President Trump," commented David Henig, a trade expert. "History shows he has a tendency for not honouring his word."

A Pattern of Unreliability

Concerns have been intensified by Washington's action to pause the £31bn "tech prosperity deal", which was previously called "a huge leap forward" in the bilateral relationship. The US cited a lack of progress from the UK on reducing other tariffs as the reason for the pause.

Additionally, concessions secured for British farmers as part of an May trade agreement have still not been formally ratified by the US, despite a fast-approaching January deadline. "It is our belief that the US has not yet signed off the agreed beef export quotas," said Tom Bradshaw of the National Farmers' Union.

Uncertainty Among Officials

Privately, ministers have voiced worries that the government's deals with Washington are unstable and unpredictable. One minister reportedly said the series of agreements as "built on sand," while another characterized the situation as the "prevailing condition" in the transatlantic relationship, marked by "increased uncertainty and instability."

Layla Moran, chair of the health select committee, argued: "The only thing more surprising than the US approach is the UK government's naive belief that his administration is a good faith actor. The NHS is of vital importance."

A Mixed Picture of Success and Setback

Officials have sought to reduce the possibility of the US withdrawing from the pharmaceuticals deal. One source noted the US pharmaceutical industry itself had been pushing for the agreement, seeking certainty on imports and pricing, making it more concrete than the paused tech deal.

Officials concede that unpredictability is inherent in dealing with the Trump administration. However, they contend that the UK has obtained tangible results for businesses, such as lower steel tariffs compared to other nations. "Our achievement of 25% steel tariffs, which is better than the rate for the rest of the world, is a solid gain," one official said.

However, delays have emerged in carrying out the broader trade deal. Promised access for British beef have yet to be finalized, and the assurance to "remove tariffs on British steel and aluminium" has not been fulfilled, with tariffs fixed at 25%.

As negotiations continue, the two sides have scheduled to restart talks on the paused tech prosperity deal in January, following what were described as "productive" meetings between UK and US officials in Washington.