January 24th 2026

Nicola Grant, Regional Spokesperson for the Workers Party, has issued an urgent call to all Northern Ireland MPs to challenge the Labour Government over a proposed trade agreement with the United States. The deal, which Donald Trump highlighted at the World Economic Forum, threatens to increase drug prices by 25%.

THE THREAT TO THE NHS 

Reports indicate that the U.S. trade team is pushing for terms that allow pharmaceutical giants to significantly inflate the cost of medicines sold to the National Health Service. Experts warn this could drain an additional £1.5 billion from the NHS budget annually.

"Labour promised to protect our health service from further cuts, yet these promises have proven short-lived," Grant stated. "The Workers Party is deeply concerned by the Health Minister’s current trajectory. We are already seeing support services in certain hospitals threatened with privatisation—a move that ignores the historical failure of such schemes which resulted in higher costs and poorer clinical outcomes."

A WARNING AGAINST AMERICAN-STYLE HEALTHCARE 

Grant highlighted the human cost of rising pharmaceutical prices, noting that patients are already being denied life-saving treatments due to existing budget constraints.

"Donald Trump’s statements make his intentions clear: he wants American companies to have wholesale access to our NHS," Grant warned. "This is a gateway to the total privatisation of our specialist and core services."

UPHOLDING CORE PRINCIPLES

The Workers Party is urging the government to pivot away from trade concessions and return to the foundational values of the NHS.

"Do we really want a healthcare system like the United States, where millions are denied treatment and basic medicines are unaffordable?"

Grant concluded. "The government must stop pandering to the whims of Donald Trump and start rebuilding our National Health Service based on the principles of universal care and public need."