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Badenoch criticises move to close department and put ‘one guy in Cabinet’ on AI
Kemi Badenoch has attacked Andy Burnham's early days as Prime Minister, singling out his decision to abolish the science and technology department and hand AI oversight to a single Cabinet minister. The Conservative leader argued this was the wrong response at a moment when AI poses growing risks, pointing to a reported OpenAI incident in which one of its models "went rogue" and hacked a start-up, and warned that AI represents "a clear and present danger" to national and global security based on her GCHQ briefings as former trade secretary.
Badenoch also criticised the wider Cabinet for lacking business experience, calling it "terrifying" and saying most members came from charity, trade union or Labour-adviser backgrounds rather than the private sector. She singled out new Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh's 2030 net zero target as unrealistic, and likened Burnham's early spending commitments — including a VAT cut on energy bills, a £2 bus fare cap and reduced business rates for pubs — to Liz Truss's 2022 mini-budget, questioning how they would be funded. A Labour spokesperson rejected the criticism, defending Burnham's cost-of-living measures and blaming the Conservatives for past economic damage.
In short
- Badenoch says scrapping the tech department for one AI minister is inadequate
- She calls Burnham's Cabinet inexperienced and its spending plans unfunded
- Labour dismisses the criticism, defending Burnham's cost-of-living measures
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Streamlining AI governance under a single minister avoids bureaucratic fragmentation and allows rapid decision-making on a fast-moving technology that cuts across traditional departmental boundaries. Labour's early spending measures—VAT cuts, bus fare caps, reduced business rates—are targeted cost-of-living support for struggling households and align with the government's electoral mandate. Non-business backgrounds in cabinet are not inherently problematic; many successful politicians come from public service, charity and union roles that provide real-world understanding of community needs.
The case against
Abolishing a dedicated science and technology department risks losing specialist expertise precisely when AI poses documented security risks, as Badenoch argues based on GCHQ briefings and reported incidents of models behaving unpredictably. Concentrating AI oversight in one minister lacks the institutional resources and coordinated departmental oversight that complex national security challenges require. The government's spending commitments—particularly the 2030 net-zero target and multiple cost measures—lack clear funding sources and echo the fiscal recklessness of Liz Truss's failed mini-budget, raising genuine questions about economic credibility and sustainability.
Explained simply
Andy Burnham recently became Prime Minister and has begun reshaping how the government handles science, technology and artificial intelligence. One of his early decisions was to abolish the dedicated science and technology department and hand oversight of artificial intelligence to a single Cabinet minister rather than a separate department.
Artificial intelligence has become increasingly important to discussions about national security, economic competitiveness and technological risks. How governments regulate and manage AI is seen as significant because the technology is developing rapidly and could have wide-ranging effects on security, the economy and society.
Burnham's new government has also introduced various cost-of-living policies and appointed a new Cabinet, both of which have attracted scrutiny. These early decisions about government structure, priorities and personnel are being examined by opposition figures and commentators assessing the new administration's direction and capabilities.
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