The United Kingdom has secured a record-breaking £150 billion investment package from American companies, marking the largest commercial deal of its kind.
The announcement came during US President Donald Trump’s state visit, delivering a major boost to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Among the headline projects, US investment giant Blackstone has expanded its earlier £10 billion pledge with a further £90 billion commitment to develop UK data centres. Real estate group Prologis is set to invest £3.9 billion in life sciences and advanced manufacturing, while data analytics firm Palantir will put up to £1.5 billion into defence.
Engineering group STAX has also confirmed a £38 million expansion of its UK operations.
The government said the deal will generate 7,600 new jobs across the country, including 1,000 in Belfast and 6,000 across Glasgow, the Midlands and the North of England. This includes £150 million of investment from contractor Amentum, which will focus on regional job creation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the announcement, saying: “These investments are a testament to Britain’s economic strength and a bold signal that our country is open, ambitious, and ready to lead. Jobs, growth and opportunity is what I promised for working people, and it’s exactly what this State Visit is delivering.”
The record deal follows other major commitments under the government’s Tech Prosperity Deal. Earlier this week, Microsoft pledged £22 billion of UK investment over the next four years, while Google announced £5 billion to expand its Hertfordshire data centre. Meanwhile, AI cloud provider CoreWeave has committed £1.5 billion to data centre operations in Scotland, bringing its UK total to £2.5 billion in just one year.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said the package demonstrates growing confidence in Britain’s industrial strategy. “These record-breaking investments will create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK. It’s a clear sign that our Plan for Growth is delivering for working people,” he noted.
The UK government also confirmed it will raise spending with US companies from £10 billion annually to £12 billion over the next five years. In return, British companies are boosting investment in the United States. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced nearly £22 billion for American research and manufacturing, underlining the deepening transatlantic partnership.
As part of the state visit, UK and US business leaders will meet Starmer and Trump at Chequers to discuss further cooperation, with whisky and steel expected to feature on the agenda.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney attended the state banquet following his recent Washington trip, where he held talks with Trump on whisky tariffs. His presence sparked criticism from SNP MP Chris Law and the Scottish Greens, though Swinney defended his attendance as being in Scotland’s best interests.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan chose not to attend the dinner.
With record levels of American investment, the UK government is positioning this as a turning point for jobs, innovation and economic growth across the country.
