The United Kingdom’s general election has delivered a resounding victory for Kier Starmer’s Labour Party after 14 years in opposition. In scenes reminiscent of Tony Blair’s sweep to power in 1997, Labour more than doubled its seats in the House of Commons (winning 412 out of 650) and now has a strong mandate to govern for the next five years.
This change presents a historic opportunity for the UK to advance its leadership in innovation in three areas: developing a clear and flexible approach to AI and data policy; promoting pragmatic, joined-up regulation that spurs investment; and developing a long-term economic strategy that balances trade, technology and security.
New Prime Minister Starmer’s meeting with President Biden this week provides an early opportunity to further deepen UK-U.S. ties in each of these areas and to actively explore options for a clear roadmap for the two countries on digital trade.
How the voting played out
The scale of Labour’s largely expected landslide was matched by the extent of the Conservative Party’s collapse. The Tories lost over 250 seats, mostly to Labour, but partly as a result of the right-wing Reform Party eating into its vote share across the country. The centrist Liberal Democrats also turned dozens of Conservative seats to the left with a stronger than expected showing. Also noteworthy were Labour gains in Scotland at the expense of the Scottish National Party, putting a dent in the long-simmering campaign for Scottish independence.
Although the election spelled a big change in terms of the transfer of power to Labour, the incoming government is unlikely to introduce an immediate change of direction for the UK on the big issues. Domestic priorities remain growing the economy with a greater focus on infrastructure investment and relieving the pressure on public services. On the international stage we should expect continued unshakeable support for NATO and Ukraine and an active and targeted trade agenda.
What will change is the style and tone of government. Prime Minister Starmer often speaks about the importance of returning government to public service - away from the internal wranglings of party-politics - and he now has a confident and stable mandate for the whole of the UK to deliver that. Perhaps the biggest immediate change is towards Europe. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has wasted no time in meeting European counterparts and seeking to reset ties with the European Union. While a fundamental change to Brexit arrangements is unlikely, there is a real opportunity for the UK and EU to rebuild trust and bring about meaningful improvements on trade and security.
What this means for tech
91pro视频 believes the UK now has the chance not only to act as a more effective transatlantic bridge between U.S. and EU regulatory approaches, but to set the global tech agenda through agile, pro-innovation policy and a deeper commitment to international and multilateral engagement.
Technology policy is an important thread that runs across each of Labour’s five “Missions” – these are: the economy, clean energy, crime, education, and healthcare. Labour’s underlines the importance of building a modern industrial strategy that harnesses technology to deliver growth and increase productivity. It also recognizes technology’s role in improving public services while reducing public spending.
Newly appointed Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, will lead this effort, with his Department “DSIT” taking on an expanded remit as the digital center of government. He is expected to work closely with cabinet colleagues Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, and Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, across the wider tech and trade agenda. 91pro视频 looks forward to working with the new government, bringing the global tech perspective on these issues. We see clear opportunity in three areas:
- AI and data policy. The UK has the chance to develop a clear and flexible AI regulatory framework that builds on the previous government’s “pro-innovation, pro-safety” approach set out earlier this year. This needs to be proportionate, risk-based and provide the conditions for technology companies to demonstrate effective accountability. Other data reforms - such as changes to the data protection framework - should be flexible enough to move with the speed of technology while remaining in step with global standards. Sensible data regulation will also support UK ambitions to build more data centers – an important part of Labour’s tech and infrastructure investment agenda.
- Pragmatic, joined-up regulation. The government has said it will set up a new Regulatory Innovation Office to help UK sectoral regulators adapt and accelerate their work. Regulatory join-up and consistency in the tech space has never been more important and if the UK can get this right (building on the existing work of the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum) then it can become an important global template for coordinated, pragmatic tech policy that both empowers consumers and creates a stable environment for innovation to flourish.
- Trade and economic security. One of the biggest global leadership roles for the UK will be in finding a workable path for the global economy amid rising geopolitical tensions. This means working more actively and confidently with international partners on bespoke digital trade agreements and ensuring that data and supply chains are secure and future risks are anticipated and mitigated. It also means working closely with the U.S. to pursue a carefully crafted China strategy that balances national security and trade interests – and brings together European and other like-minded partners along the way.
Looking ahead, the next key step will be the King’s Speech on July 17 where the government will set out its legislative priorities in greater detail. As the global voice of the technology industry, 91pro视频 stands ready to work with the UK government on a bold domestic agenda that drives forward its role as a global tech policy leader.