Trump arrives in the United Kingdom for second state visit, numerous topics on the table

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump arrived in the United Kingdom late last night for his second state visit, during which the two sides will conclude investment agreements and renew the "special relationship" that Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to promote, Reuters reported.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves led events ahead of Trump's arrival, announcing a "Transatlantic Working Group" to deepen work between the two largest financial centres in the world.

Trump will then be welcomed on Wednesday by King Charles at Windsor Castle, a royal display of soft power that Starmer hopes will shield him from potential pitfalls during Trump's visit.

The visit is expected to provide Trump with a break from events less than a week ago when his close ally, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was killed, which appeared to deeply affect him.

Starmer also wants to shift focus to geopolitics and investments after going through several difficult weeks that undermined his authority. First, he was forced to dismiss his deputy, and then six days later his ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, due to his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer wants to present the United Kingdom as a destination for US investment, closely linking its financial services, technology and energy sectors with larger US competitors in an attempt to boost much-needed economic growth at home.

To that end, business executives, including Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang and Sam Altman of OpenAI, are expected to attend, while the announcement of business deals worth several billion dollars is anticipated.

Microsoft said it would invest over thirty billion dollars in the UK over the next four years, while Google said it would invest 6.8 billion dollars, partly in a new data centre near London that would help meet demand for artificial intelligence services.

A spokesman for Starmer described the state visit as a "historic opportunity" coming "at a crucial moment for global stability and security."

"The Prime Minister will discuss the challenges facing both our countries and the opportunities as we enter a new era of our deep and unparalleled relationship," the spokesman told reporters.

Starmer to host Trump on Thursday

Starmer will focus on foreign affairs on Thursday when he hosts Trump at his country residence Chequers and will try to draw a line under his handling of the departures of his deputy, Angela Rayner, and Mandelson.

He gave them his full support before being forced to dismiss them, raising questions about his political judgment at a time when Nigel Farage's populist UK Reform party is convincingly leading in the polls.

Mandelson's ties to the late Epstein, which led to his dismissal, could present an awkward moment for Starmer with Trump, whose administration had close ties to the former ambassador, and whose own relationship with the financier has also been under scrutiny.

Starmer justified his abrupt dismissal of Mandelson last week by saying he was not aware of the depth of the former ambassador's ties to Epstein, and Trump denied writing him a birthday letter that Democrats in the House of Representatives released.

Royal dinner

On Wednesday, Trump and his wife Melania will be honoured with British royal pomp, including a carriage ride, a state banquet, a military flyover and a gun salute.

A day later, Starmer welcomes Trump to Chequers, a 16th-century manor in the southern English countryside, to discuss investments, tariffs on steel and aluminium, ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.

Both nations will have significant delegations and will be largely shielded from planned anti-Trump protests.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was welcomed by newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper when he arrived on Tuesday.