LONDON — Who pulls the strings in U.K. tech policy has never been more important.
A raft of upcoming legislation aims to hold tech companies to account while encouraging investment and innovation. But that’s a difficult balance to strike and critics fear new rules could hold back some of the U.K.’s most promising industries.
Britain has enjoyed a dominant role in European’s tech sector for a decade. But investment in the U.K. fell by 22 percent last year, while rising in rival countries like France.
The sector has been hampered by political instability and uncertainty about what the country’s long-term position will be on key areas such as AI, semiconductors, digital competition and content moderation. Meanwhile, the EU has pulled ahead — while the U.K. government keeps promising action “soon,” EU lawmakers have already passed or are close to agreeing much of the regulation the U.K. has been talking about.
The people on POLITICO’s power list can change that. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to create a new Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) gives key industries a singular focus in government many felt had been missing, though questions remain about exactly what the department will be able to achieve.
Here’s who to watch in Westminster in the coming months. We’ve split our list into rule-makers, enforcers, fighters, advocates, influencers and VCs.
Rule-makers
Michelle Donelan
As secretary of state at the shiny new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Donelan has to be on the inaugural POLITICO U.K. tech power list. She has the potential to be a big player in the world of technology after she was tasked by Sunak with ensuring the U.K. is “the most innovative economy in the world and a science and technology superpower.” No pressure. Keep a close eye on her ambitious deputy George Freeman though. It is no secret that he harbors ambitions to make his Cabinet debut.
For those wanting to get into the nitty gritty of some of the biggest tech-facing portfolios, Paul Scully, one of Donelan’s ministerial team, will be the man to know having shepherded the Online Safety Bill through its latest House of Commons stages. All three might want to keep a close eye on veteran Tory MP Bill Cash, who deserves a special mention after making Britain’s exit from the European Union his life’s work, and now has Big Tech in his sights. And don’t forget arch-Boris Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries, who lost her power when the ex-prime minister was ousted from Downing Street, but has strong views on the direction of government policy, particularly on online safety.
Rishi Sunak
OK, an obvious one, but the list wouldn’t be complete without him. The prime minister’s creation of DSIT at the start of February showed how much he wants government to focus on tech. He is putting millions of taxpayers’ pounds into startups, while at the same time giving regulators more power to rein in Big Tech.
The former hedge fund manager has long invested in startups (his investments are now held in a blind trust meaning neither he nor we can see them). He has polished his “tech bro” credentials and seems more comfortable meeting tech billionaires like Bill Gates and answering questions from a chatbot than functioning in the real world of petrol stations, supermarkets and schools. But the extent to which Sunak can deliver his dream of transforming the U.K. into an innovation superpower depends on his political acumen, which will come under intense pressure as the next election approaches.
Beeban Kidron
Filmmaker-turned-peer Kidron has made her seat in the House of Lords count. Few peers (or indeed MPs) have had quite as big an impact on tech legislation as Kidron, most notably her push for the Digital Economy Act to include an Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of rules that apply to any search engine, social media platform or online marketplace with users in the country. Kidron now has changes to the Online Safety Bill in her sights. Elsewhere in parliament’s unelected upper chamber, Tim Clement-Jones is a thoughtful voice on regulating artificial intelligence, and Tina Stowell now chairs the Lords’ communications and digital committee — a key vehicle for scrutinizing the tech companies.
Darren Jones
Jones is Labour’s go-to on tech policy. As chairman of parliament’s business select committee, he made a splash with inquiries into the government’s semiconductor strategy (or lack of) and probed plans for the U.K.’s post-Brexit competition policy. A future Labour government would surely call on his expertise. On the Labour frontbench, Alex Davies-Jones, who has the digital brief, is clearly worth knowing too. If the polls stay as they are, she could well be a tech minister before too long. Lucy Powell, as shadow culture secretary since 2021, has been the Labour voice on the Online Safety Bill. Behind the scenes look out for Tom Adeyoola who is playing a role in Labour’s startup review.
Susannah Storey
Storey was the first top civil servant to be announced at DSIT. Having moved across from what was then the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), where she had been director general (DG) for digital and media policy, she now has the DG brief for digital, tech and telecoms. Much of her work will focus on helping to deliver big pieces of legislation including the Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Bill. The department also needs to get the Online Safety Bill over the line.
A regular on panel Q&As, Storey gave an insight into some of her policy thinking to the Open Data Institute in 2021. She said this was the key decade for making tech policy in the U.K. — but time is running out and she is keeping her eye on what other countries are doing. Before joining the civil service, she worked at Citigroup and Schroders in mergers and acquisitions. The other key player in the department is Permanent Secretary Sarah Munby, who moved across from BEIS.
Chief Technology Adviser … Sunak on the hunt
There are plans afoot to recruit a powerful new adviser in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. A new “chief technology adviser” would be tasked with working with the rest of the civil service to deliver the PM’s science and tech vision, according to a Whitehall official.
Over in No. 10 Downing Street, Jean-Andre Prager is the well-regarded and long-serving special adviser who oversees DCMS in the No. 10 Downing Street policy unit, but with the work and pensions brief in his portfolio too. In a sign of just how important No. 10 sees DSIT, a well-placed official said, they are potentially on the hunt for a new tech point person at the heart of government. Don’t expect the hire to be someone steeped in politics. “[Tech] isn’t that political,” the official said.
Over in the Treasury, Adam Memon, Hunt’s economic adviser, is seen as an ally in tech land. A short stint on the digital markets unit at the Competition and Markets Authority has given him a valuable understanding of the subject. On the official side the Treasury’s director of growth Joanna Key is seen a key player for industry.
Enforcers
Amy Jordan
The director of technology policy at Ofcom has a busy couple of years ahead as the regulator works out how to implement the mammoth Online Safety Bill. The timeline for this has already been moved several times, but Ofcom’s latest estimates suggest it will take around two years from the bill becoming law to fully implement the new regulatory regime.
Jordan, an Oxford languages graduate, will be a key part of that work. She has spent most of her career in the civil service, firstly on the fast-track scheme, then working on cybersecurity at the World Economic Forum, before joining Ofcom almost three years ago. In a recent Q&A organized by techUK, she acknowledged the scale of the task Ofcom faces to get the bill working in the real world. The other key name in Ofcom is director for online harms, Richard Wronka. Also watch for Gill Whitehead from April, then she joins as group director of online safety. The former Google executive joins from the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum where she is CEO.
Jacqui Ward
Chinese ownership of U.K. tech is one of the hottest political topics right now, and as director of Britain’s Investment Security Unit, Ward has been tasked with screening and thwarting takeovers which could harm national security. Her unit has just moved into the powerful Cabinet Office after BEIS was broken up. It is just over a year since the National Security and Investment Act came into force and how its powers might be used remains a live issue for industry. While Ward will work behind the scenes, it is National Security Adviser Tim Barrow (remember him?) and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden, who will be the public faces of potentially contentious decisions about whether takeovers should be blocked.
Sarah Cardell
The head of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has only been in the post for a few months but is already making waves. “Major U.S. tech investors are impressed by Cardell,” one industry lobbyist said. “They think she’s very smart and wants to make a real impact. They’re treading cautiously around tech deals requiring U.K. approval in a way they weren’t before.”
The Oxford graduate, who like so many in Westminster studied philosophy, politics and economics, has been at the CMA since 2013 and was previously its general counsel. The CMS is has an open investigation running into Google’s ad tech and a high-profile case on Microsoft’s planned takeover of Activision Blizzard. The CMA is also beefing up its digital markets unit ahead of the Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Bill which will give it new powers.
The fighters
Nick Clegg
Clegg was already a member of Mark Zuckerberg’s inner circle before he was promoted last year, but in his new role as Meta’s president of global affairs, he is officially as senior as the Facebook founder himself.
Having returned to London last summer, Clegg has a slate of chunky legislative briefs to get stuck into on this side of the Atlantic. His teams will closely monitor the progress of online safety and competition and data protection bills through the U.K. parliament, while gearing up for the Digital Services and Markets Acts in the EU. Clegg’s promotion reflects just how significant lobbying has become to Meta, which is facing intense competition from Chinese-owned TikTok as well as investor jitters over its $36bn metaverse bet.
Dom Hallas
As head of the startup trade body Coadec, Hallas is one of the best-connected people in U.K. tech. He attracted both Sunak and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to Coadec events and September’s budget included several investor-friendly policy reforms first championed by his team.
But a more recent Treasury intervention has ruffled feathers. Coadec is resisting Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s plans to curb R&D tax cuts. Founders surveyed by the organization in January said the proposals were incentivizing them to speed up overseas expansion plans. The startup association isn’t alone in pushing back on the proposals. The Federation of Small Businesses has warned the U.K. will become an “innovation wasteland” if Hunt follows through with the plans. This battle is likely to rage for some time and Hallas is unlikely to back down until he’s secured a deal that will satisfy his members.
Neil Ross
Ross is responsible for shaping trade association techUK’s approach to new regulation. A former researcher to two Labour MPs, Ross rapidly ascended the trade body’s ranks since joining in 2019. Now associate director, he is tasked with finding coherent positions that represent techUK’s diverse membership, from the Big Tech firms and software vendors to startups and telecoms operators. That’s easier said than done, but when techUK speaks as the voice of the industry, ministers listen.
The protagonists
Poppy Wood
Reset.Tech has quickly but quietly become one of the most influential advocacy groups in the U.K. Launched in 2020 and funded by the Sadler and Omidyar foundations, Reset’s British-wing is led by Poppy Wood, a former adviser to David Cameron turned tech policy pro. Wood’s mission is to provide a counterweight to the Big Tech lobby and she has built networks connecting MPs and peers to whistle-blowers and former employees of the tech giants.
Wood’s primary weapon is the all-party parliamentary group on digital regulation, which Reset manages. The APPG includes many MPs and peers who have brought forward amendments strengthening the Online Safety Bill in recent months. Wood is also expected to keep a close eye on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and data protection reforms once they arrive in parliament.
Cori Crider
This Texan human rights lawyer first made a name for herself in Whitehall shining a light on the government’s work with Palantir during the pandemic. But Foxglove, the advocacy group she runs, has since broadened its focus. Crider’s team is fighting Facebook over its treatment of content moderators in Kenya and wants to challenge the government’s use of algorithms in benefit fraud investigations. Crider’s also planning a parliamentary engagement campaign linked to the new £360m NHS data platform deal Palantir is looking to secure. Sympathetic MPs can expect to hear from her team soon.
Influencers
Ashleigh Ainsley
We’re very conscious of the lack of diversity on this list which makes organizations like Colour in Tech even more important. Ashleigh Ainsley, one of its co-founders, can point to some very impressive achievements since launching in 2016. More than 5,000 people have passed through its programs and the non-profit has been backed by the likes of Google, DeepMind, Meta and Microsoft. There’s plenty still to do, though — BAME employees represent 15 percent of tech workers in the U.K. against 20 percent of the population.
Gerard Grech
Tech Nation, the organization Grech has led for almost a decade, is closing its doors at the end of March, but its CEO remains a powerful voice in tech. He sits on a DCMS advisory board and has plenty of success getting people to sit up and listen.
The former record company founder built his career in telecoms at Orange in the noughties before being invited by David Cameron to become the founder and CEO of Tech City UK, as it was then, in 2014. The outpouring of support for Tech Nation after it announced its closure has been striking. The organization helped a third of all U.K. tech companies which have scaled and helped thousands of workers through its visa scheme, so watch out for what Grech says and does next.
The money
Nathan Benaich
As founder of Air Street Captial, a small-scale venture capital fund, Benaich is by no means a heavy hitter when it comes to writing checks for startups. But when it comes to politics, he bats above his average. The Cambridge Ph.D grad was on the panel of Labour’s recent start-up report; he got name-checked as a reviewer in the recent U.K.’s digital manifesto published by Tony Blair and William Hague; and participated in an off-the-record discussion on Labour’s tech strategy in late January between Labour-favoring techies.
Eileen Burbidge
Few VCs successfully straddle the worlds of politics and investment, but Burbidge is one of them. The London-based American founded Passion Captial in 2011 which has backed around 100 early-stage startups, including Monzo. She was awarded an MBE in 2015, is the Treasury’s FinTech envoy and was part of David Cameron’s Business Advisory Group. Her latest venture is Fertifa, a reproductive health company.
Saul Klein
Another VC who has been close to government, Klein co-founded Lovefilm — the British version of Netfix — and his current outfits Zinc and LocalGlobe plow money into early stage start-ups. He focuses his investments local to the U.K. and northern Europe. After spending time in California, Klein has become a leading sounding board for repeated governments on what to do about tech and is a cheerleader for how the country (but mostly London) is one of the largest tech ecosystem in the world. He’s currently a member of No. 10’s Council for Science and Technology after previously being appointed as “Tech Envoy” to Israel under David Cameron’s administration and serving as a advisor board member at DCMS. “Government can support this or not support that, but the waves (of technological change) are so much bigger,” he told POLITICO.
Ilan Gur
With a budget of £800 million to invest in U.K. innovation, look out for the first chief executive of the new Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). The American is leading the U.K.’s answer to the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which spawned several groundbreaking technologies. It is one of the most high-profile of former Downing Street top adviser Dominic Cummings’ surviving policies. Gur worked at the U.S. Department of Energy’s agency for funding innovations, ARPA-E, for three years as a senior adviser so has experience investing public money in emerging tech.
“Aria itself it’s a bold bet. The agency is really a grand experiment,” he said in a documentary in February. It has been given a lot of public money to “bet on science” so will need to prove its worth fast — but that might be tricky, as its bets probably won’t materialize for a decade, so Gur will need to manage government expectations.
