Starmer adviser Varun Chandra met US tech firms in private talks on AI and regulation

Highlights

• Varun Chandra met six major tech companies between October 2024-2025.
• Meetings covered AI regulations, datacentre approvals and Trump administration.
• Political advisers not required to declare meetings with private firms.

Varun Chandra, who works as chief business adviser to the prime minister, had discussions with senior people from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Apple and Meta over 12 months.

The meetings happened between October 2024 and October 2025 and talked about changing rules, artificial intelligence investment and working with Donald Trump's government.

Documents obtained through freedom of information requests show Chandra offered to help Oracle's top UK boss Siobhan Wilson meet the prime minister directly. He also prepared the ground for Starmer to meet Amazon chief Andy Jassy.

The meeting notes suggest executives from Meta, Microsoft and Oracle brought up AI, datacentres and special AI growth zones with Chandra.

These zones are areas where the government plans to give datacentres faster planning permission and millions of pounds in energy help.

At least four meetings discussed changing regulations. Meta's vice-president Joel Kaplan, who used to work for the Republican party and replaced former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, gave Chandra feedback on Britain's "regulatory landscape."

Behind closed door

The revealed meeting records provide the first look at how a powerful political figure connects business leaders with Britain's top politicians.

Chandra, who ran a company that gathers business intelligence started by former British spies before joining government, now has extra responsibilities including US trade envoy.

In early 2025, Chandra discussed the government's "commitment to removing barriers for businesses" with three Apple executives. One was Matt Browne, who looks after the company's relations with European governments.

On the same day Chandra met the Apple bosses, chancellor Rachel Reeves told business watchdogs to reduce rules that slow down growth.

This change led to the removal of Marcus Bokkerink as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Bokkerink was preparing to use new powers to break up tech companies that control entire markets.

Later, Reeves said she received good feedback since "she got rid" of Bokkerink. She added: "Previously businesses, all the time – especially in tech – had been raising concerns about the CMA. That has changed a lot."

Trump's presidency came up in two meetings with Microsoft vice-chair Brad Smith. The pair discussed Trump's priorities during a meeting at Davos, the exclusive gathering of political and business leaders, at the start of last year.

Chandra then briefed Smith about Trump's second state visit to the UK.

Questions about transparency

Unlike ministers and senior civil servants, political advisers do not have to publicly tell anyone about their meetings with private companies and lobbyists, though the meetings are recorded by civil servants.

It took 12 months of freedom of information requests to get confirmation of Chandra's meetings.

The meeting logs obtained by the Guardian are the first glimpse into the working schedule of a powerful political operative who can link business executives to the prime minister and the chancellor.

They raise questions about what a democracy campaigner described as "lobbying behind closed doors."

Rose Zussman, a senior advocacy manager at anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, said the meetings should be treated as lobbying and raised serious concerns.

A Downing Street spokesperson noted that Chandra had helped secure a UK-US trade deal as well as "record" 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."

The Cabinet Office refused to reveal if Chandra had held meetings with other companies, claiming the Guardian's request for all his external meetings was "vexatious" and would need a "burdensome amount of resources" to answer.