Business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds says Conservatives and Reform have misunderstood the ‘landmark’ trade deal

More than a dozen senior Conservative MPs and peers have written to the prime minister calling for the UK to immediately recognise Palestine as a state, breaking ranks with their own party to do so, Kiran Stacey reports.

Trade policy Twitter is furious about the crassness of the Tory/Reform UK attacks on the double contribution convention aspect of the UK-India trade deal. These are from Allie Renison, a trade expert who has advised government.

Under a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition in 2012, the UK and Chile signed an agreement exempting temporary workers from social security contributions for *five* years

Not undercutting then, not undercutting now with India

People cannot come unless their company has sent them to do specific work overseas for a time limited period

Not looking for work to apply to in the first place

The UK already has reciprocal agreements for social security contributions with quite a few countries, btw …

Extraordinary to see so called Brexiteers attacking a free trade deal between the UK and the biggest economy in the Commonwealth.

The NIC [national insurance contributions] thing is reciprocal. What we are seeing is Reform stirring up racism against Indian workers here in the UK and it is disgusting.

If you want a tax break on National Insurance you don’t need to be an Indian multinational to get it. British companies get three year’s relief if they move into Freeport zones, established in Jeremy Hunt’s last Budget. Tax reliefs = routine incentive to encourage investment