UK tech advocates alarmed by Burnham plan to scrap technology department
News Source
β’Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:42:43 GMT
π° What Happened
Incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked officials to draw up plans to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The plan would move DSIT into the business department as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up. The plans have not been signed off yet but have triggered an angry backlash from MPs, officials, and tech experts.
Matt Clifford, AI adviser to former PMs Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, called it a 'big mistake.' He said it would waste time and energy at a critical moment for tech as an economic and national security issue. One Labour MP called it 'getting rid of the department of the future.' Critics say Burnham is repeating a mistake the Conservative government made when they created DSIT in the first place.
π The Backstory
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was created in 2023 under Rishi Sunak. It was meant to give science and technology a seat at the cabinet table. Before that, tech policy was scattered across multiple departments. Supporters say DSIT helped the UK compete in AI, semiconductor manufacturing, and clean energy.
Andy Burnham became Labour leader after Keir Starmer stepped down. He is a former mayor of Manchester and is seen as more left-wing than Starmer. His early decisions have raised concerns among business-friendly Labour MPs. The plan to scrap DSIT is part of a larger government restructuring. Some see it as Burnham putting his stamp on government, but critics say it sends the wrong message about the UK's commitment to tech innovation.
π― Why It Matters
Scrapping a tech department at a time when AI and semiconductors are reshaping the economy could hurt the UK's competitiveness. For British tech workers and businesses, it means uncertainty about the government's priorities.
Incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked officials to draw up plans to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The plan would move DSIT into the business department as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up. The plans have not been signed off yet but have triggered an angry backlash from MPs, officials, and tech experts.
Matt Clifford, AI adviser to former PMs Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, called it a 'big mistake.' He said it would waste time and energy at a critical moment for tech as an economic and national security issue. One Labour MP called it 'getting rid of the department of the future.' Critics say Burnham is repeating a mistake the Conservative government made when they created DSIT in the first place.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was created in 2023 under Rishi Sunak. It was meant to give science and technology a seat at the cabinet table. Before that, tech policy was scattered across multiple departments. Supporters say DSIT helped the UK compete in AI, semiconductor manufacturing, and clean energy.
Andy Burnham became Labour leader after Keir Starmer stepped down. He is a former mayor of Manchester and is seen as more left-wing than Starmer. His early decisions have raised concerns among business-friendly Labour MPs. The plan to scrap DSIT is part of a larger government restructuring. Some see it as Burnham putting his stamp on government, but critics say it sends the wrong message about the UK's commitment to tech innovation.
Scrapping a tech department at a time when AI and semiconductors are reshaping the economy could hurt the UK's competitiveness. For British tech workers and businesses, it means uncertainty about the government's priorities.