Prime Minister Keir Starmer will pitch for businesses to come to Britain today by pledging to remove the red tape that “needlessly holds back investment”. Starmer will set out the government’s stall to woo foreign investors in a keynote speech at a high-profile international conference in London. Deals worth billions in AI, life sciences and infrastructure are expected to be announced.
Starmer will vow to rip up regulations that have “needlessly held back investment” as he addresses the International Investment Summit. The Prime Minister is seeking to change the political narrative after a turbulent first 100 days in office.
The build-up to the event has been overshadowed by a row involving Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, whose description of P&O Ferries owner DP World as a “rogue operator” almost cost the firm’s £1bn investment. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was forced to distance the government from Haigh’s comments, to the fury of her allies.
Starmer will pitch Britain as an attractive destination for investors, touting the country’s top talent, regulatory framework and global standing. He will acknowledge the government’s challenges, saying “we’ve got our problems, of course we have. As I said, our public services need urgent care, our public finances need the tough love of prudence.”
However, the Prime Minister will insist there has “never been a better time to invest in Britain in recent decades”. Starmer will seek to capitalise on the goodwill generated by his election victory to position the UK as “open for business” once more.
