United Kingdom

Burnham Plans to Scrap Technology Department, Reports Suggest

Would this be a catastrophic blow to Britain's tech future or long-overdue accountability?

JUL 20·Updated JUL 22

Burnham Plans to Scrap Technology Department, Reports Suggest

Story

Above: Andy Burnham arrives at Trades Union Congress headquarters in London, on July 17. Image credit: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

The Facts

Incoming U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked officials to devise plans to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), according to reports, ahead of his arrival at No. 10 Downing Street on Monday.
The Telegraph
Sifted
Party officials and sources familiar with the matter expect elements of DSIT to be rolled into the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), with the remainder transferred under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Financial Times
Kiran Stacey on X
Sources also suggest that Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo would oversee the deployment of AI across the public sector, rather than a dedicated minister. Jonathan Reynolds is also expected to return as business secretary, possibly with expanded science policy responsibilities.
Kiran Stacey on X
Financial Times
guardian
In response to the reports, lobby groups Tech UK and Startup Coalition wrote to Burnham urging him to "strengthen tech leadership at the heart of government, not dismantle it," warning that breaking up DSIT would send a "terrible signal" to a sector growing at 10% per year.
Techuk on LinkedIn
Startup Coalition on X
An unnamed Labour MP, meanwhile, told The Guardian that the plans amounted to "getting rid of the department of the future." It follows remarks by leading government figures, including Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, describing AI as a defining opportunity and challenge.
guardian
GOV.UK
GOV.UK
DSIT was established in 2023 under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to consolidate responsibility for science, AI, digital regulation and innovation. It has since overseen initiatives including the U.K. AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Security Institute.
GOV.UK
GOV.UK

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Scrapping DSIT would be a serious mistake at the worst possible time. The department is the single point of contact that keeps AI researchers, innovators and policymakers aligned; breaking it apart would scatter momentum across Whitehall and send a damaging signal to a sector growing at 10% a year.

Matthew Clifford on X

Techuk on LinkedIn

Narrative B

DSIT was never the clean, neutral champion of innovation its defenders claim. Investigations suggest the department likely breached anti-corruption rules, funneled privileged access to select businesses and directed public funds toward projects tied to war criminals. Science and tech will survive in Britain just fine without it — the real question is why anyone would mourn a department with such a track record.