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Elected officials have expressed alarm that the United Kingdom's negotiated accords with Donald Trump are "fundamentally unstable." This stems from revelations that a so-called "milestone" deal on medicines, which commits to zero tariffs in exchange for the NHS paying more, lacks any underlying contract beyond limited headline terms published in government press releases.

An Agreement in Principle Only

The deal on drug tariffs, described as a "landmark" achievement, exists as an "statement of intent" without formal ratification. Critics have noted that the press releases from the UK and US governments frame the deal in sharply different terms. The British version celebrates securing "zero per cent tariffs" as a unique achievement, while the American announcement concentrates on the agreement for the NHS to pay significantly more for new medications.

"The danger exists that the UK government has agreed to terms to increase medicine costs in return for only a pledge from President Trump," commented David Henig, a trade expert. "We know he has form for not keeping promises."

A Pattern of Unreliability

Worries have been intensified by Washington's action to put on ice the £31bn "tech prosperity deal", which was previously heralded as "a generational step-change" in the bilateral relationship. The US claimed a failure to advance from the UK on reducing other tariffs as the reason for the pause.

Furthermore, concessions promised for British farmers as part of an earlier tariff deal have not been formally approved by the US, despite a fast-approaching January deadline. "Our understanding is that the US has failed to approve the reciprocal tariff rate quota," said Tom Bradshaw of the National Farmers' Union.

Anxiety Behind Closed Doors

Privately, ministers have voiced worries that the government's US-UK accords are unstable and unpredictable. One minister described the series of agreements as "resting on shaky ground," while another described the situation as the "prevailing condition" in the transatlantic relationship, marked by "increased uncertainty and instability."

Layla Moran, chair of the health select committee, remarked: "What is even more astonishing than the US approach is the UK government's naive belief that his administration is a good faith actor. The NHS is too precious to be gambled with."

Official Reassurances and Concrete Outcomes

Government figures have attempted to minimize the risk of the US reneging on the pharmaceuticals deal. One source suggested 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 instability is a feature of dealing with the current US leadership. However, they argue that the UK has obtained tangible results for businesses, such as preferential tariff rates compared to other nations. "The fact we have 25% steel tariffs, which is more favorable than the rate for the rest of the world, is not flimsy," one official said.

Yet, problems have surfaced in enacting the May tariff agreement. Promised access for British beef have failed to be approved, and the assurance to "remove tariffs on British steel and aluminium" has is still pending, with tariffs staying at 25%.

Moving forward, the two sides have planned to recommence talks on the paused tech prosperity deal in January, following what were described as "constructive" meetings between UK and US officials in Washington.