Sir Keir Starmer will welcome Donald Trump to Chequers on Thursday as part of the US president’s unprecedented second state visit to Britain. The Prime Minister is aiming to emphasise the prospect of major American investment in the UK, while both governments continue to face scrutiny over their historical links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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Overnight, Sir Keir announced that Britain could see some £150 billion in investment from major US firms, including Blackstone and Palantir. At Chequers, the two leaders are expected to sign a technology prosperity agreement designed to boost Britain’s artificial intelligence sector through significant American backing. Questions remain, however, about what concessions may be offered in return, with speculation that the UK’s digital services tax, which primarily affects US companies, could be scaled back or withdrawn. Reports also suggest that hopes for an agreement to ease steel tariffs on British exports to the US have receded.
Attention will turn to a joint press conference on Thursday afternoon, which may prove challenging as journalists are expected to raise questions about Lord Mandelson and Mr Trump’s links to Epstein. The leaders also differ over policy in the Middle East. According to the Times, Sir Keir has delayed a decision on recognising a Palestinian state until after the visit to avoid public disagreement with the US president.
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On Wednesday evening, King Charles hosted Mr Trump at a state banquet in Windsor Castle, where the president spoke warmly of the Anglo-American alliance, saying the relationship was “beyond special” and likening it to “two notes in one chord”. Guests included senior US business leaders such as Sam Altman of OpenAI, Tim Cook of Apple and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, as well as media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters marched through central London, and polling by YouGov suggested that 45% of Britons opposed inviting Mr Trump for the visit, compared with 30% who supported it.
