Peter Kyle New business secretary widely seen as being friendly to big tech

When Peter Kyle begins a 7,000-mile flight from Washington to Beijing this week, Britain's new business secretary may reflect on how far he has already come.

- Rob Davies

He struggled at school due to dyslexia and left, in his own words, "without any usable" qualifications. He made it to university in his 20s after several failed attempts. Now, days after accepting his second ministerial brief in the reshuffle triggered by Angela Rayner's resignation, Kyle is leading talks with White House officials about the US-UK technology partnership.

With no time to celebrate his 55th birthday today, he will then jet off for tentative and delicate discussions with China about greater economic cooperation. The missions to the world's two largest economies are intended to help kickstart what Kyle told business leaders last week would be a "relentless" pursuit of the growth that has so far eluded Labour.