the nhs will be "off the table" in any us-uk trade negotiations, the government said on monday as it set itself limited ambitions for a future trade deal with washington.  publishing its mandate for negotiations, the government appeared to bow to public pressure not to accept us farming methods, although trade experts said the british position left a small amount of "wriggle room" on shifting agricultural standards.  "the nhs will not be on the table. the price the nhs pays for drugs will not be on the table. the services the nhs provides will not be on the table," the 184-page mandate says, allaying fears that a us trade deal would push up uk drug prices.  david henig, the director of the uk trade policy project at the european centre for international political economy thinktank, said the negotiating objectives for a us trade deal were "relatively modest" and appeared designed to "tick the box" of a deal rather than deliver substantial gains.  "they reflect concerns at the heart of government that a comprehensive deal is not economically worth the likely political trouble from farmers and environmental campaigners among others," mr henig said.  the government said it estimated the benefits of signing a us-uk trade deal would range from 0.16 per cent of additional gdp in 15 years at the upper end, down to 0.07 per cent of gdp if the deal liberalised trade less than hoped.  the us-uk objectives were released in london as a team of more than 100 uk trade negotiators opened talks in brussels to try and seal a deal on the future eu-uk relationship before the december 31 deadline. the uk is seeking a canada-style deal with the eu, which treasury analysis estimates will lead to the british economy growing by 4.9 per cent less than would have otherwise been the case.
nhs 'off the table' in us trade talks, says government