An influential government adviser close to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves held 16 undisclosed meetings with top executives from major US technology companies, according to records obtained by the Guardian. The meetings, which took place between October 2024 and October 2025, involved discussions on regulatory changes, artificial intelligence, and Donald Trump’s second administration.
Details of the Meetings
Varun Chandra, who serves as the chief business adviser to the prime minister and was recently given the additional role of US trade envoy, met with representatives from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Apple, and Meta. In one instance, he offered to arrange a direct meeting between a senior executive and the prime minister. The meetings occurred as the government developed policies to attract investment from Silicon Valley, including multimillion-pound energy subsidies and preferential planning approval for datacentres in so-called AI growth zones.
Concerns Over Transparency
Unlike senior civil servants and ministers, political advisers are not required to declare their interactions with private firms and lobbyists, although meetings are recorded by civil servants. It took 12 months for the Guardian to obtain confirmation of Chandra’s engagements under freedom of information rules. The meeting logs provide the first glimpse into the working schedule of a powerful political operative who can connect business executives with the prime minister and chancellor. Democracy campaigners have described the situation as “lobbying behind closed doors.”
Government Response
A Downing Street spokesperson defended Chandra’s actions, stating that he helped secure a UK-US trade deal and “record” inward investment from American companies. The spokesperson added: “Meeting businesses is a core and entirely expected part of the prime minister’s business adviser’s role.”
Key Discussions and Participants
Chandra met 13 senior executives, including Siobhan Wilson, the top UK executive for Oracle, and David Zapolsky, Amazon’s chief global affairs officer. Redacted minutes of the meetings suggest that Chandra agreed to help Wilson meet Starmer and prepared the ground for Starmer to meet Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Labour’s push for AI-driven growth was a frequent talking point, with executives from Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle raising AI, datacentres, and AI growth zones.
Regulatory Reform
Regulatory reform was covered in at least four meetings. Meta’s vice-president, Joel Kaplan, a former Republican official, provided feedback to Chandra on the “UK regulatory landscape.” In early 2025, Chandra discussed the government’s “commitment to removing barriers for businesses” with three Apple executives. On the same day, Chancellor Rachel Reeves ordered business watchdogs to reduce anti-growth regulations, leading to the removal of the Competition and Markets Authority chair, Marcus Bokkerink. Reeves later said she had received positive feedback since “she got rid” of Bokkerink.
Trump Administration
Trump’s presidency came up in two meetings with Microsoft vice-chair Brad Smith. The pair discussed Trump’s priorities during a meeting at the Davos economic forum in early 2025. Chandra then briefed Smith about Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to the UK.
Criticism and Calls for Reform
Rose Zussman, a senior advocacy manager at Transparency International, said the meetings should be treated as lobbying and raised serious questions about accountability: “Lobbying behind closed doors enables outside interests to influence our politics without public scrutiny.” She added that it should not take multiple FOI requests to uncover who is trying to influence government decision-making and called for a comprehensive lobbying register that includes meetings with special advisers.
Chandra declined to comment, as did Google and Amazon. The other tech companies did not respond to requests for comment.
