UK post-Brexit trade agreements and devolution

Brexit and funding for UK R&D.

THIS time last year, the UK’s electorate was gearing up to vote in a referendum to decide on the country’s future in the European Union. This week, the electorate is gearing up to vote again, this time to decide on the government it wants to lead Brexit negotiations. Among those who will be following those negotiations closely will be members of the UK’s research, development and innovation sec...

Devolution and divergence in UK health policies.

78 BMJ | 10 JANUARY 2009 | VolUMe 338 Devolution and spending will probably be the two main health legacies of Tony Blair’s Labour government. Spending, because the historically low cost NHS received one of the greatest bursts of funding in history, with long term consequences for workforce, infrastructure, and patients; and devolution, because it created four distinct health systems just as th...

Trade Agreements and Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Pharmaceuticals

There is growing international concern about the risks posed by direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription pharmaceuticals, including via the internet. Recent trade agreements negotiated by the United States, however, incorporate provisions that may constrain national regulation of DTCA. Some provisions explicitly mention DTCA; others enable foreign investors to seek compensation if ...

UK researchers digest the fallout from Brexit.

www.thelancet.com Vol 388 July 9, 2016 115 The president of the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences professor Sir Robert Lechler was candid when it came to his view on the research implications of the UK referendum result: “I think this represents the biggest challenge to the UK’s research sector in living memory.” The referendum on June 23, in which voters took the momentous decision to leave the...

Preferential Trade Agreements