U.S. state visit yields record 150 billion pounds of investment, UK says

LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Britain has generated 150 billion pounds ($204.87 billion) of inward investment, the British government said on Wednesday citing its own data which compiled new and previously announced pledges.

The figure, which Britain said was the largest commercial investment package generated by any state visit, was announced after Trump's day of royal pageantry and ahead of the political leg of the visit, when he will meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The total includes a previously reported 100 billion pound long-term investment pledge from private equity firm Blackstone, and 3.9 billion pounds from Prologis in life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

With British public opinion split over the decision to roll out the red carpet for Trump and host him for an unprecedented second state visit, the government is keen to promote its potential economic gains.

Starmer, facing intense scrutiny of his leadership after a series of political missteps, won power last July on a pledge to revive Britain's stagnant economy and improve living standards for millions of Britons. The government said the new investment would create some 7,600 new jobs.

The government also set out a series of investments flowing in the opposite direction, highlighting a $30 billion research and development investment in the United States by drugmaker GSK.

($1 = 0.7322 pounds)

(Reporting by William James; editing by Michael Holden)