UK Labour ministers held 202 meetings with major Silicon Valley technology firms in less than two years between July 2024 and March this year, official disclosure logs published on Sunday night revealed.
Government logs show officials recorded an average of almost one meeting every two working days with just five firms: Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, or companies owned by them.
The frequency of engagements with the tech companies was double the number of meetings held by the full UK Cabinet, which typically meets once a week while Parliament is sitting.
Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was in office during the period, holding an "informal engagement at No 10 prior to the International Investment Summit" for Big Tech leaders.
Ministerial Meetings and Silicon Valley Access
Peter Kyle, who served as technology and business secretary, logged the highest individual count with 40 meetings involving Silicon Valley executives, mostly between July 2024 and 2025.
Official logs listed Kyle attending a "Q&A fireside chat to discuss the importance of diversity in tech landscape" hosted by Google, alongside a "visit to Apple's HQ and showcase [of] their technology."
While official entries listed several sessions as discussions on UK investment, critics claimed the high volume showed ministers were cosying up to tech giants at the expense of smaller domestic businesses, which struggle to gain equal access.
Critics also raised concerns that ministers were pushing Big Tech's agenda instead of addressing domestic priorities.
Campaigner Criticism and Government Response
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, criticised the government's approach to technology executives.
"Keir Starmer operated an open-door policy for Big Tech firms but slammed the door shut for civil society groups and online safety campaigners," Burrows said.
The Molly Rose Foundation was established by the father of teenager Molly, who took her own life after being exposed to online suicide content.
A government spokesman defended the meeting schedule, saying: "Engaging with tech companies is part and parcel of our work delivering growth in every postcode."
Background on Government and Silicon Valley
The UK Cabinet is the prime decision-making body of the British government, chaired by the prime minister and comprising senior department ministers who meet at 10 Downing Street. Silicon Valley, located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, is the global hub for major technology corporations, including Google's parent Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft.
