The Week ahead in International Trade: Investment week, Lammy meets EU ministers and Commonwealth meeting

This week will include a trio of important meetings – one in London, one in Luxembourg and one in Samoa – as the UK government continues its push to boost UK investment and improve relations with both European and Commonwealth partners.

Investment week

Sir Keir Starmer’s flagship week arrives, as major figures from trade, business and culture arrive in London to discuss growth and investment.

Major investment companies have said that “Britain is ready for investment”, in an open letter to the Times , saying stability has returned to the UK.

This boost comes after a row with DP World—corporate owners of one of the world’s largest port groups - as the company threatened to halt investment and to not attend the summit following transport secretary Louise Haigh’s criticism of their employment rights record.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Universal Music CEO Lucian Grainge, former England manager Gareth Southgate, Octopus energy CEO Greg Jackson and Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc will join government figures such as trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds and chancellor Rachel Reeves for a series of discussions and panel sessions.

Starmer will also use the summit to say that the UK will scrap regulation that is holding the UK back, while launching a long-awaited green paper on UK Industrial Strategy.

Lammy in Luxembourg

Foreign secretary David Lammy will miss most of the Investment Summit, instead visiting Luxembourg for a meeting of the Council of 27 grouping of EU foreign ministers.

This is Lammy’s first invite to the council, which meets to discuss major events such as the Ukraine war and the ongoing violence in the Middle East. Then-foreign secretary Liz Truss attended when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, so it isn’t the first time that the UK is attending post-Brexit.

His attendance is part of Labour’s “reset” with European capitals, with Lammy framing this as being a chance to be “back at the table” with the UK’s closest neighbours and a chance to work side-by-side with European leaders on relevant policy issues.

Charles’ first CHOGM

His Majesty Charles III will host his first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) since ascending to the throne.

The meeting is part of a tour of Australia and the Pacific beginning Friday (18 October). He will meet with Australian PM Anthony Albanese in Parliament House, before travelling to Samoa where he will host the meeting.

CHOGM is a bi-annual meeting of all members of the Commonwealth, usually either leaders or senior ministers. As the Commonwealth has a total membership of 56 countries and accounts for almost a quarter (23%) of the UK’s exports, any attempts to build closer ties between Britain and the other nations will be closely watched.

Other dates for the diary

Monday: OPEC monthly oil markets report

Tuesday: Amnesty International report on human rights in the electric vehicle industry

Wednesday: UK data on producer price inflation released

Thursday: European Central Bank rate decision

Friday: China’s Q3 GDP data released

Saturday: G7 Defence Ministers meeting in Naples

Sunday: Moldova holds its presidential election and a referendum on EU membership