The new MPs who could influence tech policy

Following the election on 4th July, the new Labour Government is keen to translate its promise of delivery in Government into decisive action. While it remains constrained by political, economic, and fiscal realities that will reduce its ability to spend, Labour will need to focus on innovation and reform to achieve its commitment to revitalising public services like the NHS. 

Peter Kyle, the new Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Information, and Technology (DSIT), has emphasised this as an immediate priority for his department. With bold changes to his Ministerial team already announced – including former Chief Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance as the Minister for Science – Kyle’s Department looks committed to delivering efficiencies across Government and economic growth. 

In addition to these appointments, he has expanded the department’s scope and size by bringing in experts in data, digital, and AI from the Government Digital Service, the Incubator for AI (i.AI), and the Central Digital Data Office to unite the efforts to implement digital transformation of public services under one roof. Tech also has strong advocates within the central departments, with the former chair of Labour Digital, Darren Jones, now in the Treasury as CST.  

In one of his first statements as Secretary of State, Peter Kyle said: 

“Britain will not fully benefit from the social and economic potential of science and technology without government leading by example. So, DSIT is to become the centre for digital expertise and delivery in government, improving how the government and public services interact with citizens.”  

Out of all the main parties, Labour’s manifesto contained the most tech mentions. It includes planning reforms to facilitate investment in data centres, establishing a Regulatory Innovation Office to streamline tech regulatory decisions and a commitment to modernise public sector procurement frameworks to enable start-ups and SMEs to drive public sector innovation. 

Turning innovation into economic success is an immediate priority for Labour. By making DSIT the “digital centre for government”, Labour lays its cards down that the department should look to play a more significant role in delivering economic growth, top of the party’s five missions to rebuild Britain. 

Amid the Treasury’s tight fiscal administration, innovation and technology will be crucial in delivering economic growth and Starmer’s mission-driven government. Given technology’s importance to the Government’s function and ambition, it is likely that expertise in the legislature will be quickly employed to advise the Government, influence its course, and hold it to account.  

With Ministers now in place, we’ve identified five new parliamentarians whose prior experience, ranging from working with tech startups to AI ethics, could lead them to be influential in developing and challenging Labour’s tech policy and put them in prime positions to take up leadership roles on this critical issue. 

Josh Simons MP, Makerfield

After Labour’s bruising general election defeat in 2019, few have done more to put Labour back on the path to power than Josh Simons, a major player at Labour Together, the political think tank that has helped lay the groundwork for a Starmer government.

Josh has entered the House of Commons with an enviable list of contacts within the new Government and the wider Westminster ecosystem. Having been a Graduate Fellow at Harvard University, exploring the politics and ethics of machine learning, Josh’s experience in the field has an academic bedrock. Josh also has a background in tech policy at work and spent four years as a researcher at Meta, where he worked on AI ethics. He believes “Labour is optimistic about its potential to improve public services” through technology. 

Josh is a leading voice in this field and has even published a book which addresses the interrelation between democracy and AI. A report by Labour Together last year argued that if the next government is to implement the use of AI to improve public services successfully it will have to enhance trust in the public sector’s use of personal data. Their analysis found 53% of the public said they had little to no trust in central and local government’s use of their data.  

With AI offering solutions to many of the problems Labour has identified, they will need strong, expert voices. Josh is one who can advise on ambitious digital transformation in the public sector but also build public trust in this use of data and ensure that the benefits of this new technology are felt across the country. 

With seemingly little to slow Josh down given the safety of his hopeful seat of Makerfield and his close connections to Starmer’s inner circle, expect him to play a leading role in the future years of a Labour Government.  

Samantha Niblett MP, South Derbyshire 

Having spent most of her professional life in data and tech, Samantha founded Labour: Women in Tech in 2022 out of a desire to see more women in the tech industry. 

Niblett has written about her experience of barriers to women in tech and championed BME inclusion in the industry. She has not shied from taking the government to task on inaction on these issues, with Labour: Women in Tech keen to highlight a report by the Diversity and Inclusion in STEM APPG, which found that its recommendations for encouraging women into the sector remained the same as those in a previous report, completed in 2014.  

Niblett was also instrumental in the recent WIRED Conference, where she organised a roundtable on the gender health gap and highlighted how technology can be key in reversing gender imbalances across Government mission areas.  

A proponent of the need for better tech skills, Samantha has previously called for a “deliberate and concerted effort between multiple public agencies and government departments” to make big changes and utilise Skills England to upskill our country in key digital skills and encourage more young women into tech. She has been a champion of technology in her local area – including wanting to develop a local technology school – and is keen on forging a tech identity for the East Midlands.  

A regular at Westminster events for women in tech, Samantha is a familiar face to many on the Labour frontbench. Curating a broad range of useful contacts before her election will undoubtedly position her to become an influential voice on Labour’s tech future now that she has won her seat in Derbyshire. 

Dan Aldridge MP, Weston-Super-Mare 

Dan Aldridge overturned a 17,000-strong Conservative majority to become Weston-Super-Mare’s first-ever Labour MP.  

Previously Head of Policy at BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, Dan will bring a wealth of policy experience to Parliament. Amid a challenging time for tech regulation with the rise of AI and tackling online harms a priority for all major parties, Dan’s policy insight has helped BCS become an important voice in the sector, regularly wading into the debate on the Online Safety Act and innovative AI regulation. 

Prior to BCS, Dan worked for the Office for Students, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and Stonewall to tackle hate crime and online harm and drive equality and inclusion in public life. 

Aldridge is also on the committee of Labour Digital and has a keen interest in digital skills and removing barriers to access to the tech sector. Now elected to the House of Commons, he will surely look to continue helping shape critical national technology legislation and has pledged to stop the “brain drain” which he says takes jobs away from smaller towns like Weston-Super-Mare in favour of big cities.  

Now that he has been elected, expect Dan to hit the ground running in helping Labour iron out their digital strategy.  

Claire Hughes MP, Bangor Aberconwy 

Having won the newly created constituency of Bangor Aberconwy, Claire Hughes will be another key voice in Labour’s tech strategy.  

After being appointed Digital Communications Lead during the Welsh Assembly Election Campaign in 2016, Claire went on to advise Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson on digital transformation in the Labour Party. 

Throughout her career, Claire has helped organisations of all sizes navigate challenges and opportunities by embracing digital and tech. As Head of Growth at Tahdah Verified and formerly workspace-pod start-up Pluto, Hughes’ specialism in strategy and policy will be an invaluable addition to the Commons now that she has been elected and will position her as an influential voice on tech and digital amongst the new intake of MPs.

Katie Lam MP, Weald of Kent

Katie, the only Conservative on our list and one of the party’s few new winners at the election, is no stranger to political life. She served as a Special Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff to Boris Johnson and as a SpAd to Suella Braverman when she was Home Secretary.   

Katie’s career outside of politics has been varied but invariably impressive. She was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs before becoming the Chief of Staff at Faculty AI. Faculty AI’s expertise and experience on AI systems and data have led the firm to be awarded several government contracts for work on data science, forecasting and online harms. Faculty AI have been an early influential voice on AI safety, long before the topic shot to the very top of the political agenda. Armed with this experience, Katie will be in prime position to hold Labour’s feet to the fire on their ambitious plans for public sector reform through tech and AI.  

As one of only 121 Conservative MPs, Katie will be in a leading position to take advantage of the Conservative Party’s allocation of select committee seats early on in her parliamentary career, with a firm view to undertake a shadow cabinet role shortly. 

 Away from politics and the tech industry, Katie is an award-winning lyricist and scriptwriter for musicals featured on the West End.