Alan Mak: Labour’s record on science and technology is simply a year of failure

Alan Mak is Shadow Science & Technology Secretary, a former Treasury and Business Minister, and Conservative MP for Havant.

After a year in office, Labour’s record on science, innovation and technology is one of failure.

Performance? F – for suffocating our tech startups and tech workers with a National Insurance Jobs Tax and bungling a £450 million deal with AstraZeneca negotiated by the Conservatives that cost Britain jobs and credibility.

Quality of work? F – for cutting the R&D budget in real terms and dithering on a new Compute Strategy (still not published) that leaves our researchers in the lurch.

Vision? F – for cancelling, then U-turning and reinstating, the new National Exascale Supercomputer after a campaign led by the Conservatives; delaying gigabit broadband rollout; and conceding London’s tech crown to Paris.

Accountability? F – for an AI Action Plan heavy on buzzwords but light on delivery; and making a mess of the Data Bill leaving our creative industries and tech companies in uncertainty in a field where our legal system should be a competitive advantage.

This Government’s report card after 12 months shows they have made the wrong choices in every category of the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology’s work, from economic stewardship and infrastructure delivery to regulatory clarity. On Labour’s watch, the past year has been marked by a series of missteps that have undermined our potential and eroded our standing on the world stage.

Within weeks of coming to office, Labour’s economic policies started damaging our tech and science sectors.

Rachel Reeves’ decision to impose a National Insurance jobs tax on tech startups, tech workers, universities, and scientists stifled some of our most dynamic wealth creators and innovators. It makes it harder for new companies to launch, grow and employ more workers, while discouraging talented individuals from pursuing careers in startups and labs.

Instead of fostering an environment where innovation can flourish, ministers have burdened our tech and science ecosystem with additional costs, choking off growth and damaging Britain’s competitiveness. Often it is the youngest, most junior, and lowest-paid tech and science workers being hit the hardest.

Similarly, their mishandling of a £450 million investment deal with AstraZeneca was nothing short of catastrophic. This deal was crucial for supporting our life sciences sector, which contributes billions to the economy and employs thousands across the country. Labour’s mismanagement led to the loss of jobs and sent a chilling message to global investors that the UK was closed for business.

To make matters worse, at the recent Spending Review, Labour reduced the publicly-funded research and development budget in real terms (despite trumpeting the increase in cash terms) without setting out ways of attracting more private sector capital for R&D, cutting out wasteful tech spending (such as AI-powered talking lamp posts), or scrapping their ideological pet projects such as state-run restaurants which Peter Kyle, the Tech Secretary, has enthusiastically championed.

Labour’s track record of failure continues when it comes to their handling of vital tech infrastructure projects. Their initial cancellation of Britain’s new National Exascale Supercomputer was a reckless decision that threatened to leave our scientists without the computational firepower needed to tackle pressing research and AI projects. Only after a relentless six-month campaign from the Conservatives did Labour finally U-turn on their decision – but the delay has already caused irreparable harm to our research capabilities.

Similarly, their decision to push back the gigabit broadband rollout date by two years means businesses and households across Britain will be short-changed with inadequate connectivity. In an increasingly digital world, this is simply unacceptable. Our competitors are investing heavily in the tech infrastructure of the future, while Labour is content to let the UK fall behind.

Their delay in delivering a Compute Strategy further compounds these issues, leaving our researchers and businesses without the tools to compete globally. These infrastructure failures reflect a Labour government that lacks the vision to prioritise science and tech – the foundations of a modern economy.

The Labour government’s approach to regulation tells a similarly disheartening story.

Their AI Action Plan never got going, and amounts to little more than a collection of empty promises, lacking both funding and a clear delivery strategy. Instead of positioning this country as a leader in AI, Labour has opted to create two new quangos, adding cost and complexity without delivering results.

The Data Bill’s path through Parliament has been equally disappointing and painful. Despite the urgent need to protect our thriving creative sector from overzealous AI models, Labour chose to close their eyes and cover their ears, leaving our creatives exposed to risks and undermining public trust in their ability to govern the digital space.

Finally, their delay in introducing an AI Bill, crucial for setting standards in this rapidly evolving field, further illustrates Labour’s inability to act quickly and decisively. These regulatory failures not only hinder innovation but also erode confidence in the UK’s ability to lead in the digital age.

When it comes to protecting our children in the digital age, Labour have also been found wanting. Their refusal to support a ban on smartphones in schools ignores overwhelming evidence that these devices harm educational outcomes and pupil well-being. Similarly, they voted down our sensible proposal to raise the digital age of access for social media from 13 to 16 unless the findings of an independent review showed it wasn’t necessary. These decisions reflect a government that is apathetic about the safety of our children.

The cumulative impact of all these Labour failures is profound. London, once the undisputed tech hub of Europe, is now losing ground to Paris, as businesses and talent are drawn to more supportive environments. Our life sciences sector and universities have been harmed. Our reputation for supercomputing dented. Jobs have been lost, investment diminished, and our position on the global stage weakened.

Science and tech is an area of policy where Labour cannot blame the last Conservative government for giving them a challenging inheritance. We gave them instead a golden inheritance, and the strongest possible platform on which to build: Britain has the world’s third largest AI ecosystem, a thriving startup ecosystem with more tech unicorns than France and Germany combined, a successful gigabit broadband rollout, and a world-leading position on AI safety.

Labour’s failures stem not from circumstances they inherited but from a fundamental misunderstanding of how to support business and innovation. Their policies have squandered the opportunities we created and jeopardised the future of these critical sectors in the UK.

As Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, I have been dogged and determined in holding Labour to account for their failures since last November. The Conservative Party will not stand idly by as Britain’s potential is squandered. We will continue to fight for a future where our scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, investors and innovators are supported to lead the world – and I will continue travelling around the country meeting, supporting and listening to them as we develop new policies to back them.

The choice before the country is increasingly clear: continue with Labour’s incompetence or embrace the Conservative ambition to make Britain a global leader in science and technology once again. In the coming year, we Conservatives will continue campaigning to turn our vision into reality.