AI minister role boosted but tech department axed in Burnham shake-up
New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has scrapped the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), while elevating AI Minister Kanishka Narayan to attend cabinet. DSIT, created by the Conservative government in 2023, will have its responsibilities split across other departments, and the move means there is no longer a dedicated technology secretary, a post previously held by Liz Kendall until Burnham sacked her. The change signals a reshuffling of how technology and AI policy are handled at the heart of government, drawing mixed reactions from industry figures.
Narayan, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, said his elevation reflected the prime minister's "deep commitment to AI's importance," while acknowledging public concerns about jobs and the pace of change. Tech trade body Startup Coalition urged the government not to "take the foot off the pedal" on technology, and academics including Cambridge's Professor Gina Neff and AQL's Professor Adam Beaumont flagged challenges ahead, including AI's impact on jobs and the need for greater energy and computing infrastructure to support the sector.
In short
- DSIT scrapped; its duties split among other government departments
- AI Minister Kanishka Narayan promoted to attend cabinet
- Experts warn of job losses and energy/infrastructure strain from AI growth
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Elevating the AI Minister to cabinet level reflects recognition that AI's transformative potential justifies top-tier government attention and decision-making. Distributing other technology and science responsibilities across relevant departments—business, education, health, energy—could improve coordination between technology policy and sectoral priorities, allowing innovation to be mainstreamed rather than siloed away from where strategic decisions are made.
The case against
Fragmenting technology policy across multiple departments risks undermining coherent strategy and losing momentum across the innovation sector. Without a dedicated technology secretary serving as unified advocate and coordinator, the sector lacks a clear voice in government, and the government itself risks incoherent policies that fail to support the breadth of technological advancement Britain needs for long-term competitiveness. The industry and academic concerns about maintaining momentum suggest this restructuring may prove strategically damaging.
Explained simply
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was created by the previous Conservative government in 2023 to bring science and technology policy together under a single cabinet minister. This was intended to give technology and innovation a prominent place in government decision-making. Under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, this dedicated department has been abolished and its responsibilities are being split across other departments.
The consequence is that Britain no longer has a single cabinet minister responsible for science and technology matters. Instead, artificial intelligence has been given particular priority, with AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, being promoted to cabinet level. Liz Kendall previously held the technology secretary role but has been removed from it as part of this reshuffle.
The technology industry and academic researchers have raised questions about this structural change, concerned that splitting responsibilities across multiple departments could affect the effectiveness of government support for innovation. How government organises technology policy shapes the pace and coherence of decision-making on issues ranging from AI development to broadband provision. The reshuffle reflects uncertainty about how best to balance support for technological innovation with public concerns about employment and infrastructure needs.
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