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Keir Starmer appoints Varun Chandra as UK special envoy to the US, aiming to lift commerce ties amid Greenland tensions and toughen diplomacy with Christian Turner in Washington.
Varun Chandra (R) with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (Picture: X)
UK High Minister Keir Starmer has appointed Indian-foundation skilled Varun Chandra as Britain’s novel special envoy to the US for commerce and funding, as London looks to toughen economic ties with Washington amid newest diplomatic strains.
Chandra, who currently serves as Starmer’s enterprise liaison at Downing Avenue, will be tasked with advancing the UK’s economic pursuits in the US at a time when bilateral relatives have faced stress following tensions linked to the Greenland bother.
In step with studies, Chandra used to be allotment of newest UK–US discussions held on the sidelines of the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, the save talks took save amid US President Donald Trump’s controversial push to accumulate Greenland.
A banker-changed into-consultant with long-standing ties to the Labour Event, Chandra beforehand served as world managing partner at Hakluyt, a strategic advisory firm. Born in South Shields in northeast England to other folks of Indian foundation, he has built a career spherical finance, strategic advisory roles and world economic diplomacy.
Chandra travels progressively to Washington and has developed terminate working relationships with senior figures in the Trump administration, including US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Last year, he conducted a key role in securing a UK–US commerce agreement that resulted in lower tariffs for Britain than those imposed on the European Union, though growth in areas equivalent to seize-how has since slowed.
Below the novel association, Chandra will work carefully with Christian Turner, who has now not too long ago taken price because the UK’s ambassador in Washington. Whereas Turner’s transient focuses on maximising enterprise relationships, Chandra’s role will centre on diplomacy and commerce negotiations.
The appointment underscores Starmer’s emphasis on deploying British tender energy and repairing ties with the US, at the same time as relatives were examined by Trump’s newest remarks on Greenland and his comments close to NATO troop deployments.
Earlier, Lutnick described Chandra as an “lovely representative” of the UK and a “trusted friend,” highlighting his rising affect in transatlantic economic diplomacy.
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First Published:
January 23, 2026, 22:56 IST
Knowledge world Amid Trump’s Tariff Threats, UK Names Indian-Starting save Varun Chandra As Substitute Envoy To US
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