UK and Japan poised to seal landmark £18 billion investment deal to create thousands of jobs

The UK and Japan are poised to finalise an £18 billion investment package, anticipated to generate tens of thousands of new jobs across Britain. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is scheduled to host his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, at Downing Street on Sunday, ahead of next week's G7 summit. More than ten commercial and government agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, including a substantial £9 billion deal for offshore wind projects. Further collaboration will see Rolls-Royce deepen its partnership with Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency, signing a new agreement focused on developing next-generation technologies. Discussions will also involve British and Japanese business leaders exploring future economic growth opportunities, alongside efforts to help UK defence firms access Japanese investment. Mr Healey’s departure was mirrored , intensifying scrutiny on the Prime Minister amid threats of a leadership challenge. Andy Burnham could be in line to challenge Starmer if he wins the Makerfield by-election on Thursday, and he criticised the Labour leader during a campaign speech on Saturday. Burnham warned that the UK is heading for the same “poisonous” politics as the US. He told the audience: “It doesn’t feel that we’re heading in the right direction. It doesn’t feel like we’re heading to better lives for people. “Things are getting harder, and politics is getting more polarised, and the path we’re on, if we are not careful, is a path towards the politics of the United States of America, a polarised, poisonous politics where people in communities don’t work together any more."