PM's remarks at the State Visit business event: 18 September 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-18)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave remarks at the State Visit business event at Chequers.

Mr President –

Let me welcome you again…

For this unprecedented second State Visit.

And, it’s a great pleasure for me personally…

To welcome you to my home-from-home, here at Chequers.

And thank you very much for taking the time to say hello to the staff, who have done a brilliant job and have been preparing for weeks.

And it’s really so good to have you here, so thank you so much.

You are among friends.

And I think we all agree –

There is so much to celebrate in the special relationship between our two countries.

By standing together in war and in peace…

This bond is the very foundation…

Of our security, our freedom, and our prosperity.

But what is the relationship about when it comes down to brass tacks?

It comes down to leaders – of course.

Leaders who respect each other –

Leaders who genuinely like each other.

And it comes down to our unique relationship on defence –

The closest the world has ever seen.

It comes down to the connections between our people –

Ties of family and friendship –

The President himself is a shining example of that.

But it also comes down to business – to all of you here, and thank you so much for coming here this afternoon, it’s fantastic to have you with us.

The best evidence of that, people to people, business to business relationship that thrives in the special relationship.

In so many ways, this story is a story about enterprise.

The US is our single, biggest, largest trading partner.

Companies like BP, GSK, Rolls Royce and AstraZeneca employ thousands of people in the United States.

American companies like Microsoft, Citigroup, Amazon and Blackstone do the same here.

Together we support over 2.5 million jobs across both economies.

So this relationship is embodied in each and every one of you here today.

We have, if you like, the great and good of British and American business sitting with us.

Leading lights in tech – like Jensen, Ruth, Demis and Satya…

Finance – Jane, Larry and Steve…

And of course in pharma, defence, energy and manufacturing.

It’s great to see you all, to see you all again I should say, because of course we were together yesterday and we know each other very, very well, which is exactly as it should be.

And just look at what we’re achieving together today.

The deals and investments you are announcing today break all records.

What a day.

£250 billion flowing both ways across the Atlantic.

It is the biggest investment package of its kind in British history…

By a country mile.

So thank you so much for your contribution on your part in that, as the embodiment of that special relationship.

Let me spell out what this means.

It means life-changing investments…

Across the United Kingdom.

It’s expected to create over 15,000 jobs …

In Belfast, Birmingham…

Hartlepool, the Humber…

And well beyond.

It means that thousands of working people will feel and will be better off.

And it shows the potency of this partnership:

US capital and entrepreneurial spirit…

Combined with British ideas and ingenuity.

The UK is one of the world’s largest economies –

Maybe not quite on the scale of the United States, I concede…

But, my word, we punch above our weight.

And we lead the world in expertise on quantum, on AI, life sciences, financial services and more…

We have the only trillion-dollar tech sector in the west – outside of the US, again, I caveat.

We have the best investment, the best universities, the most Nobel Prizes – and we have Demis here - outside the US.

That’s what we bring to the table –

And we are proud of it.

That’s why we both benefit from this incredible relationship.

Look at the Economic Prosperity Deal we struck back in May.

It was the first trade deal the President made –

And, yes, it was the best deal, as well –

We have the lowest tariffs in the world in vital sectors.

And that is some achievement –

It was a tough negotiation.

But we did it deal for a reason –

Because it is a win for both sides.

And because we knew –

That by working together…

We could deliver more for working people.

We could help the businesses here today to thrive…

And help you to create good, well-paid jobs in communities up and down our country.

Ultimately – that’s the test of the special relationship:

How much it delivers for honest hard-working people –

To make them safer and better off.

We have already taken big steps forward…

And we’re going further today – much further

In a moment the President and I…

Will sign our groundbreaking new Technology Partnership –

The Tech Prosperity Deal.

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.

I want to thank all of you for supporting this vision.

We have huge new investments…

From Nvidia,

Nscale,

Open AI,

Google,

Salesforce and many more –

Backing cutting-edge British jobs for years to come.

And of course tech needs energy.

So to fuel this revolution…

We have also struck a new deal on civil nuclear power…

We discussed this, Mr President, last time we were together, and the opportunities we had.

Generating energy for millions of homes and businesses…

Driving down bills on both sides of the Atlantic…

And driving up energy security.

I want to thank everyone here for supporting this too…

With brilliant, job-creating investments from Amentum and others…

Including building up to 12 advanced modular reactors in the North East.

So this is a great day for the special relationship…

A celebration of what has gone before, of course…

But more than that –

A moment to deliver investments, jobs and deals…

Which will improve people’s lives now –

And light up the special relationship for years to come.

So thank you all.

And now it’s my pleasure to hand the floor to my friend –

Our friend –

President Trump.