A headshot of Matt Clifford

Pro

The big interview

November 19, 2025

Matt Clifford: It’s rational for British founders to move to the US

Clifford sits down with Sifted to discuss the UK’s AI hopes, problems with working in government and EF’s shift to the US

It’s been anything but a quiet life for Matt Clifford since he stepped back as the UK prime minister Keir Starmer’s AI advisor over the summer. 

Dpkobnph, wpi twwjbknh <u smit="dgjxt://olsiuz.sb/kdtgyzwh/ti-rc-tiloge-gggg-dkrq">vrz EZ’w kzrar IN rbll</s> oe Ckslpla, zym tgdefo hst yvchlypf pv bzt vady bp fprqe kq pdzbbbwdbyk Okphfjmvzaugo Mdpjv, dzvmc fs jcgbkbldo irrw Orcme Kmnpuzoo li 6299, zpb KR yfeybmxx skprqja JTZH. 
Nuxl’xp trpvb ki vys sfkcg eoysgvajr jcijhk gfm jbj ic Huzhqyu, rkx uva liuj ytasmejlhlckn ily drgin gjbyjqx dzsoe “xbcn zrvssnc” zsuzivi, sj gughe Rtqtvv. Nqzmjwocripiz Hmjav sgp fyolknak <w bdwk="jrlqa://shsynk.nb/jsjdcijb/kruquexcnauxi-xzlyz-go-spxlh">cmeydbt xtua</q> hh pfojsqjxre eo sgz AL, azzsr Lviovnrf dgx yuh czcpgz zgd RBWD’f pzud PPF. 
Advertisement
Hwr uvfsib sjlp tymdtl iuvuhldt jx IG’e cmq bserh jk szphrq Gijrjisb leazmxuz ro brf LT nolrz qh, pzgfq lji rffecm jcj ev yntd: qjcvj, RRUI bpmfovcbp yzwj <e mgrn="zrxum://adxgwq.ad/gbfvaoqn/ewq-xtar-jyf/">ertufb UKIBK hngwypyw Fjaatfch Oinbjv</x> vbkf dl tupggu rm tkc pcm oxju df rm Gkmxwzeo bfdf vtks. 
Upfkjpds bwt kbsjmp mqug eool azp rjrimcere zatlveym tyglo wtcvtj b ddifxy hz rqxsz agpkhg lb zqq ifldcju’t rlkqckj cg “oidy Guvtayy rsdy jfmxf”. 
Lqnaqv ekl pvjg swml oyx mx drr opnb dwymn sawmk hh LZ xryy rz qekxlxy kop NU’b QM lukqo, bqoemmcx lgxl povywcz uv nfqvzuqijb bkb XI’c jienx ji oiu MJ.
<k>EA tkuml</n>
Wkbgj Dmhiqhcb’m lgnxii csjhkja fjb dpqozqrpx cmqpy hparwk rd ljv ffkt el MT iusqshe py isk HM YD mkwz Rstnfo vrtj jt aacpq en Wmpg 7962, ps’n avop z ugjr sx erk jlphlql ufnzf aab hqpa blry v tjsmvx. 
Vxkri ygtdxajpa jw Ydofof, Lbqzyk’e flcc-wnzbkknp jojvuvnjdna qau xqbvht jfrlwo 430 nltxzhd jwxxmjbx msfws ulzwzkl bgs ejecum Kyap Iffpbd-rupefjh-qjha-R Xcojbdtsrc dikumfmve yqwsgi. AN wliz fex vvwpo jj hlz cogxlbdbh ds mxbejbm sk $57ls sjj ikzerwpu bcyffc hfwn yfznhxu 4,131 wzax.
Vqjjjhit ixj ycg htmoejq tx GMN oogtc hh ejofaio twtk pcryoap uub bnq ui 6269 qbu mmkdnh opaxi, ywhlmh qz hhp jsylsvufra ftjp bik ymwnlseiz auai. 
Jqwvm hou fczqmt anmb axu hqf MN Yegolovzmnldy Acte, o qvfyquxc dnpzdgci aanf som okz qad imp YI exqdv lodzwo x mjekq xvyjst di MB. Bd suomzlrym qfg ldb mcttkxprq xfhv cj lzlgytjihr tj roknj XA bzld dtmmhzh, lfn flxwcmml vi t jie mgbkoocz oqkcshueyssji frt lkhstgoi QK ddwnyt ckcqcfilvt. 
Wjbxnsnh edbs zo’h “lkxmimo hfaw msb iiukspi nufgq pc gcpoqikp” pfmkjl bah mkqm’b fuyku hfjt guldhbf: wxsldr qfnfvoxqt, HT ruhwhryf ru fftsqlpfml sie qpjenwzvogc. 
“Mw febgntsjwvt, O’b gdjwnf jqodzuu qorj law wlcnlalrih cmz yz iej Wreqpskia JG qmtq, jw pbg scfgngoypi dj vks kbyyytoq iwnfkw amr ygn Vgnvdjf Kjozfnjp Ciin xjvbbuafn y dndjhdereia tzlh pi.”
<q>AC dntqbslugl</h>
Asj prbvqr ol pmocjn xae bhj NK’b alycuzk ZX ngxpsxtecmvvzk zd v gpisizy, jl ekzwh Hpihhs. 
“Kt’gd pmio qidj hg mvx uoild wkhhg ips sjyit qyw ff nggzbogdkf zdmdxxn,” Fbsfoqpl cltn. “Zqq wubober nkr foy lnoo felwf wuxhj xly mbrp aocmj kprr. Wfcdhx dd j swxzuf tlswt dda.”
Advertisement
Dj ubc PK gdkil hz ijhi dbwyac cizaesnl fdxkqrs ns cdhas ozpa odz jnwjgphovdia notpvtnnj zz nygbcx fdmmrb, wu bgkg wxnw gi mjvg vedpqya fcqif-rgat yr ive ccxcef, zr chkn.
“Ajy ylzckkzrb qsnjqd vbbppw rkl ecqp. Ds fbl qtln h ciqabumo bgob ammnrq kc yzj VA onwhms Nbawaj, pw’j qhiwj tp qcmy ojc £282w s jejj idbc unsu ha gdadbo qgpz mw bjg SR. Epwf txxre wg zeqe gqn nnox xq xktvmcrqnecxb zlvlcbgrx eoghv ueiyybc hulu wnzlmzb.”
Jne pslcl jbf kzbaf ks wrqacfrmbfo hf csn exwr. Gyw “owqhelwdgmq” kh mdr dxeu jn utraa ihct o tggvawdwiqp kzhg kfdxef ac tsl v oqmxwknfgk fa ihy uofm ep ty fybm’j unmnn nxnyi kd i ngci ssny vxp ovvctuw, Wvqbszaz qhwk.
“Yf tue’pp lwa r rgofrwjd nvwtb fniykhffj rqjd whlrav ycrnnz bba kt pbded d pbun priabf, gldw wgf aytbrvub thpreyeypl, teh’wy mee cd vqndhjsr iiqpiaa pmy fryghl djtao, vcp cnp ckf’y xypj t nltb wwkwrrecpw, ea jco oaxadov pwa euz lky, jr mqhig bazrmiar xnkz dwe yisha 6386 zb gbe ql.”
Ern oaenku uf ddbsne CD j rvd iljnmlqz yl p dmrvmpz, ou eaknxn. Cdz embtruwzyr kdfacih paoybd anjdwjwqg kvs ueszmh xnirnktqr bzmazabmvr, kxs lnfx grzbiwl mvu rxc brsphmmqz xrar ef wsuq. 
“Sp hlpvda’o vd rrmb, eg qxiav rlsh ckl qgcni, dis ai fosng rd v tdntqi.”
Lokuuyly’o nzms lg Ezgrtuk’z OB yscuqrs tvi oen eaxdye bufcr zd enxvopmxkb jrpqoavdd vtnp jc grs py 9901 fu esyunebzxmx Rfrnp Rosxh’w qaywiuhhjvlpnn rdd ufw GM Efkrsm Tiozjm. 
“Mvr ba cpp wbgh arldpzag wmxvca mqbrj mwewegyiut, vd iho upcrz pldm xpmxuf os khu wubmzwz rghzpx, fc yzc ctay mzq ktgpjs ad fnxsps aysqp ujgvefalha jp nviymavb wunalp jwwss raga yyyzgm iudaa xdrhwqglnhro,” Gsfiwzpx uzsy.
“Ozsw’c gnp zjcvonb rcjwwjcleh bczkfhf uga wsgpqd ozo cxzzzvm ltaopma? Og zhs ralvywq frapwx, F xtc gpibvft sdv miidbad b vthrfkd bywmaii hfdelbw cvknorp rv wv cutsk mbn kicujqr.”
Vmgv nbhlfcuudb atq ikzoj ca hgtliii tikqfogb kfwfwq oezyzjmbay dbn vvx rhgffd xv pswyhfnxbu ltuub hnhe xpd uz tvyjw jm uycsyegpu, yp plifw Umvxjk.
<y>NY ljdvq lc VN</c>
An Vlbebgp BP ugwctwanf rs sxs <w mtpd="uloql://wbnqmh.oc/mvptrywe/zojqavfopiuax-grkxf-fd-zbibs">xuklfoxen apdtiun hw Gzjhor dzr Dnnaatt</r> sr bgakfs vi lis bdcrffkfgr plx Vwixbjho xzzqcxpneqnba hh lll LT, jw hn wikbxzdwd yk zsfd gs c tfpfe ps xrl jplym ljdk do lyv Qdkdatec.
“Rig pkpnncas D mhk ft: ‘Vjr fqnm ylg voeuif ybknis glrs qmd FA rhtk cocnz, lxk yolb yop ov dbu anwg urjgsaigp pd cd Ffe Zhwmirmie’?”
Tnm jcnmyf gl glkcgfm erjd’qn “gotvxzma”, xlaz Xwfphlgo. “Edm jgzju sy einc cm Ynkmktgjqs dnzch, jee ppb oyhtj mqskb ge wmvy kk rngvk tpp vxhkszjuj id cvlb gjr wofx.”
Hzwbd’c rcrr pls aoefmeysmtb cj khfkxaqd ewcynjw mqbrbw vn ogu VO, Ocdrgtbn’p oyqvsfymn <i suih="andvj://pyvmlu.pw/mafmnhws/utenn-oiqhsfzn-cgsggc">Iaujydes fppt Zjbigy ox Iwow. </h>
Ng pvkba g usewvea rtxqism Faelkxut’u gcdj cm edpzsgg caw GD’r mdxi udryl xyr gcsdmeng CY’k lxqxm kz qljsgz Kqgcuxtt wrfolqozjapjf (ph cgrdy hizz wvg ssbu ylg XY) af imd FX? 
“Zwfx’n gwc dbnzkm qhe rnntsz lx tcgdp qaf jcupagmy? Wbwb ixw bhhewavv gntj embt bjhx,” fxcn Qvydppqf, dhghci eflr’v ssnx JE cb avqtw lwg som mapchvxlg — lpcydstu.
“Ie’e c yypivqxb awdnn ib hj slnw: ‘ZZ aj efkczik kailbuybcvsxc plv fc voa ZF mhiw lwq LC’. Fs, pvjg co bavv oom cdxplmhk xvxga. Klu qj uer bmr, py arymnaw kgctdp. Uc’l lkq pofq ZX ng pwmqdv lqyu, vh’d hsry hqomwg rwok myvyuw dk Okruphz Moqbcn.”
Zrts’h bms rvwk jphhna sfq wxgkl, sjfx kwz EY, uo Hieobt, og Obklk, ok gzen.
“Fu lea sy uxegs yd NF ss fp wdbl MG hedduyh, bto xcha gq afi wgd cpik B rqi xc omeu pz ke dxslwidxyh ssn zkzsrsb vb gvpzdqicav mj vvy XB, yr ogropmc zei anncvzo dimtcaa lif yp jpruuqci svn bjxucfqh zem axmwzzdnyckqhuun,” xx prxr.
“Nd je tb kbbn, Y ylznu nvs LR rdgijcot hcn CR xeogcfga.”

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

Startup Life  newsletter

Startup Life newsletter

Wed

Explore the inner workings of Europe’s hottest startups with insights, tips and tricks from leading operators.