The location was carefully chosen: this Monday, October 14, Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, chairs his first International Investor Summit at Guidhall, the Town Hall, a magnificent building dating back to the 13th century.my century.
Under its Gothic vaults gather Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, Ruth Porat, investment director of Alphabet, and Pushmeet Kohli, vice president of research at Google DeepMind. Notably absent: Elon Musk, who was not invited after confronting Keir Starmer on his X network during the August riots in the UK, broadcasting false information and warning about the“inevitable civil war” in the country.
A speech by the Labor leader, who this Monday celebrates his first 100 days in Downing Street, another by his Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, Adjoa Andoh, the star actress of the series Bridgerton who acts as mistress of ceremonies and, to crown the day (so to speak), a reception at Saint-Paul Cathedral in the presence of Elton John and King Charles III… The authorities deployed all the British soft power to convince to the big bosses of AI, transportation or pharmacy and convince them to invest billions in the national economy.
charm operation
Keir Starmer repeats it in every tone: growth is yours “number one priority”is determined to “do what is possible [s]can ” so that “The UK economy is the fastest growing of all the G7 countries” – According to the British Treasury, GDP could grow by 1.1% in 2024. This requires international investment. Announcements were made on Monday: £1 billion (about €1.2 billion) for the expansion of Stansted airport in north London, £6.3 billion for the construction of data centers, etc.
The charm operation against “big business” comes at a strange time. On October 30, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will reveal details of her first budget, which Starmer warned in the summer would be “painful”. In the British media, rumors about new corporate taxes are becoming more and more insistent. Furthermore, the Starmer government announced on October 10 an ambitious bill to put an end to abusive practices by employers.
We should not be afraid of this set of measures, assured Keir Starmer: “Workers with more security and better salaries are a better growth model for this country. » Not all bosses are on this crest of the “pro-business” and “pro-worker” line on which the manager intends to place himself.
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