This week, the largest British trade delegation that ever lived on American soil, with leaders representing 230 companies, touches down in Los Angeles with “Greater Together LA,” a conference dedicated to the growth of trade and investment with America.
Hot on the heels of Their Majesties’ historic East Coast visit by the King and Queen, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, Greater Together LA celebrates innovation, capital and business as the engine of our two nations’ future prosperity.
California is a perfect place. The Golden State is shaping the future, and Britain is rooted in that story. Over the past two years, the UK has been California’s leading investor. British businesses will create more than 130,000 jobs in the government by 2025.
To American investors, our message is clear: Britain is open for business. In an uncertain world, the UK stands out as a safe haven for capital and ideas.
We are the world’s sixth largest economy, home to $13.5 trillion in capital, and boast the second largest financial center after New York. Global CEOs rank us as Europe’s most attractive investment destination, and four of the world’s top 10 universities call Britain home.
In the first three months of 2026, the UK economy grew faster than that of any other G7 country. Planning changes; to facilitate control; continued investment in infrastructure and skills; and a renewed focus on attracting the world’s top talent is turning innovation into productivity, and productivity into growth.
The UK and US have the most integrated economic relationship in the world: $430 billion in annual trade, growing by 4% last year; $1.7 trillion invested in each other’s economies; and millions of jobs supported on both sides of the Atlantic. Britain is the largest foreign investor in 21 American countries. The United States, in turn, is the single largest investor in the UK.
Our tech ecosystem is now worth an estimated $1.3 trillion. From AI and quantum computing to life sciences and clean energy, British and American talent are coming together to push the boundaries of what’s possible. A new UK-California agreement signed this year strengthens cooperation in clean energy technologies.
But Greater Together LA is more than just an investment. It’s also about culture and people, unexpected connections that create innovation.
Simon Cowell, Cindy Rose, Mira Murati, Sir Jony Ive, Sir Paul Smith, Sir Lucian Grainge, and astronaut Major Tim Peake will all be in the room along with the CEOs of British Airways, American Airlines and News Corp.
Greater Together LA will be a celebration of the UK Film and TV industry; the British Council’s showcase of world-class British universities; and exclusive information on the Premier League and British Music Ambassador (BME).
The connection between the UK and the US is unparalleled. We have the largest number of transatlantic flights, almost twice as many as the nearest pair, with more than 250 flights operating daily between Britain and America.
Back in 1776, the year of the United States Declaration of Independence, a British economist named Adam Smith published another revolutionary book, “The Wealth of Nations.” His insight was simple and enduring: When ideas, goods, and people flow freely, we all get richer.
That’s why the British are heading West this week, following the King and Queen’s visit to the East Coast: to strengthen our two countries’ lasting bonds of prosperity, intelligence and friendship for decades to come.
When the UK and the US pool our talent, capital and ambition, we’re not just watching the future unfold. We write the script.
It starts in California.
Sir Christian Turner is the British ambassador to the United States, following a distinguished career in various diplomatic roles.
