Sir Keir Starmer has declared that he and Donald Trump “genuinely like each other” as the two leaders signed a groundbreaking £250 billion ($340 billion) technology partnership during the US President’s state visit to Britain. The Prime Minister’s striking personal remarks came as he unveiled what he called the “biggest investment package of its kind in British history by a country mile.”
Speaking at Chequers, the 16th-century manor house serving as the Prime Minister’s country retreat, Starmer physically nudged Trump’s shoulder whilst addressing business leaders and media. The Labour leader repeatedly referred to the American president as “my friend, our friend” in an extraordinary display of warmth between two politicians from opposite ends of the political spectrum.
“What a day, 250 billion pounds flowing both ways across the Atlantic,” Starmer said. “It is the biggest investment package of its kind in British history by a country mile.”
Record-Breaking Investment Package
The Tech Prosperity Deal encompasses £150 billion ($204 billion) of US investment into the UK, including £90 billion ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone over the next decade. British pharmaceutical giant GSK will invest almost $30 billion in the United States, demonstrating the bilateral nature of the agreement.
The deal focuses heavily on AI investment, with Starmer announcing significant investments from companies including Nvidia, Nscale, OpenAI, Google, and Salesforce that would create “cutting-edge British jobs for years to come.” Technology executives including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the business roundtable at Chequers.
According to government officials, approximately 15,000 jobs will be created in the UK as a direct result of these investments, with a further 2,500 positions expected in the United States. Crucially, around 6,000 of the British posts will be distributed across Glasgow, Warrington, the Midlands and the North East, addressing regional economic imbalances.
Nuclear Power Revolution
Central to the agreement is an ambitious nuclear energy partnership that will see 12 advanced modular reactors constructed in northeast England. “To fuel this revolution, we have struck a new deal on civil nuclear power,” Starmer said, adding that 12 new advanced nuclear reactors are set to be built in the northeast of England, providing the opportunity to generate energy “for millions of homes and businesses driving down bills on both sides of the Atlantic and driving up energy security.”
X-Energy and Centrica will build the reactors in Hartlepool, where the existing reactor is scheduled for decommissioning by 2028. The project is expected to generate sufficient power for up to 1.5 million homes whilst creating 2,500 high-skilled jobs in the region. The companies estimate the programme could deliver at least £40 billion in economic value, with £12 billion specifically benefiting the North East.
Additional nuclear ventures include Holtec, EDF and Tritax’s plans for advanced data centres powered by small modular reactors at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, representing an £11 billion investment.
Personal Chemistry on Display
The warmth between the two leaders was particularly notable given their political differences and the domestic challenges facing Starmer’s government. Fourteen months after his landslide election victory, the Prime Minister has seen Labour lag in polls whilst struggling to kickstart Britain’s sluggish economy.
At the earlier signing ceremony for an agreement meant to promote tech investment in both nations, Starmer referred to the American president as “my friend, our friend” and spoke of “leaders who respect each other and leaders who genuinely like each other.” The Prime Minister leaned over and patted Trump on the shoulder as he addressed reporters, concluding his remarks by saying “it is my pleasure” to give “the floor to my friend, our friend, President Trump.
Trump reciprocated the sentiment, describing the relationship between the two nations as an “unbreakable bond” and claiming that “The United States and the United Kingdom have done more good on this planet than any two nations in human history,” during the press briefing after the signing.
Royal Treatment Continues
The business summit at Chequers followed an extraordinary display of royal pageantry at Windsor Castle, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted the Trumps for a state banquet on Wednesday evening. The visit featured gold-trimmed carriages, scarlet-clad soldiers, artillery salutes, and the largest military honour guard ever assembled for such an occasion.
Trump appeared deeply appreciative of the royal treatment. Upon departing Windsor Castle on Thursday morning, he clasped King Charles’s hand and called him “a great gentleman, and a great king.” The President later thanked Starmer and his wife Victoria for their hospitality at Chequers, paying particular tribute to the King and Queen for what he described as a “fantastic” time at the state banquet.
Challenges Beneath the Surface
Despite the public displays of friendship, significant policy differences remain between the two leaders. During their private discussions, awkward conversations were expected regarding Ukraine and the Middle East. The British government has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, with Starmer calling the situation “intolerable” whilst Trump focused primarily on securing the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas.
The Prime Minister also faced potential embarrassment over his recent dismissal of Britain’s ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, just days before the state visit due to the envoy’s past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Leslie Vinjamuri, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, observed that Trump’s visit was likely to be “a difficult visit for the prime minister, much more so than for the U.S. president.” She noted that for Trump, “this plays well at home, it plays well abroad. It’s almost entirely to President Trump’s advantage to turn up to Britain and be celebrated by the British establishment.”
Broader Tech Cooperation
The agreement extends beyond nuclear energy to encompass artificial intelligence, quantum computing, fusion technology, 6G telecommunications and biotechnology. “Quantum computing fusion, 6G, and civil nuclear energy” were all areas that Trump said were at the centre of the deal that aims to increase “deregulation and innovation.”
Under the partnership, both countries will fast-track reactor design checks, potentially halving approval times to approximately 24 months for advanced designs like the Rolls-Royce SMR. If a reactor passes rigorous safety checks in one country, this work can support assessment in the other, avoiding duplication and accelerating deployment.
The deal includes commitments from major technology firms beyond those already announced. Microsoft has made its largest ever commitment to the UK as part of the £31 billion AI infrastructure investment package, whilst American company Amentum will invest £150 million and create more than 3,000 jobs across Glasgow, Warrington and the Midlands, expanding its UK workforce by over 50 per cent.
Political Stakes
For Starmer, the successful state visit provides crucial positive headlines after weeks of difficult news coverage and disappointing poll numbers. The Prime Minister has positioned the deal as central to his mission to deliver economic growth and create high-skilled jobs across Britain’s regions.
“It’s a blueprint to win this new era together. Shape it according to our shared values, and seize the incredible opportunities that are on offer,” Starmer declared, emphasising how the partnership would benefit “hardworking people, to make them safer and better off.”
The timing is particularly significant as both leaders face domestic political pressures. Trump’s administration has been eager to demonstrate diplomatic victories, whilst Starmer desperately needs economic wins to reverse Labour’s sliding popularity.
A Downing Street press release described the agreement as “the largest commercial package ever secured during a State Visit, underscoring the power of the UK-US economic partnership.” Government officials noted this surpassed previous records set by Chinese and Korean state visits in 2015 and 2023 respectively.
Looking Forward
The nuclear elements of the deal aim to achieve complete independence from Russian nuclear fuel by 2028, a goal that has gained urgency amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasised that America was looking to commercial nuclear power to “fuel the AI revolution,” adding that meeting this demand would require “strong partnerships with our allies around the world.”
Despite unresolved issues around steel and aluminium tariffs, where talks have stalled despite promises of resolution, both leaders projected optimism about the future of UK-US relations. The personal chemistry displayed between Starmer and Trump, however unexpected given their political differences, may prove crucial in navigating future challenges.
As the state visit concluded, the Prime Minister’s gamble on embracing Trump appears to have paid immediate dividends. Whether this “genuine” friendship can weather policy disagreements and deliver long-term benefits for both nations remains to be seen.
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