Keir Starmer has been told to complete a £72billion digital trade deal with the US that would "turbocharge" Britain, a new report has revealed.
The report by Policy Exchange outlines a roadmap for the proposed deal, called 'MEGA' (Make our Economies Great Again).
The deal would allow Britain and the US to collaborate on AI, quantum, nuclear energy and other emerging technologies, building on the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal signed on May 8.
In its report, the think tank urged the Government to offer "full alignment" with the US, including with export controls and to "keep the UK's Digital Services Tax on the negotiating table".
"In return, the UK’s top-tier research and academic resources can act as a magnifier and accelerant of US technological development – preserving its lead in the global AI race," Policy Exchange said.
The UK's leading think tank says the proposed deal would "turbocharge" Britain's £72billion AI sector.
The 'MEGA' plan has received the backing of former UK Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser, Sir Crawford Falconer.
In a foreword in support of the report, Sir Falconer wrote: "What is particularly valuable about this new Policy Exchange Paper The MEGA Deal is that it not only starts from that premise, but actually proposes that we start to do something serious about it.
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|A proposed digital trade deal between the US and Britain would 'turbocharge' the nation's £72billion AI sector, according to a new report
"It makes a compelling case for a bold and ambitious convergence agenda with the United States on technology, with a core focus on security technology."
Marcus Solarz Hendriks, Head of National Security Unit at Policy Exchange, said: "President Trump has been clear that he is a friend of the UK. We should get around the table with him ahead of his State Visit in September.
"Indeed, there is no time for pearl-clutching as the economic and security imperatives of the UK-US relationship cannot be overstated.
"In 2023, inward investment from the U.S. exceeded £700billion (34 per cent of total inward investment), the British nuclear deterrent depends on American technology and maintenance of our Trident missiles, and our militaries operate hand in glove globally through Nato and beyond."
US President Donald Trump is set to come to Britain on a state visit in September, though he has revealed plans to have a "state meeting" with Sir Keir Starmer in Aberdeen, Scotland, later this month.
Trump described the Scottish city as the "oil capital of Europe" and said "they should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil".
Campaigners at Uplift, which wants to see a rapid switch away from oil and gas towards renewable energy, criticised the President, who owns two golf resorts in Scotland.
The President’s private visit comes ahead of a state visit that will follow between September 17 and 19.
REUTERS | Donald and Melania Trump will visit the UK on a state visit in September
He will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle and accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump.
It will be Trump’s second state visit to the UK, having previously been hosted during his first term in 2019.
Downing Street has previously said that Sir Keir’s meeting with Trump later this month "will not be a formal bilateral".
There are also plans for Scottish First Minister John Swinney to meet with Trump during his trip.