The Labour party has secured a landslide victory in the 2024 election, with Sir Keir Starmer leading the party to victory.
At the time of writing, the results indicate that Labour will secure at least 412 seats in the new Parliament, while Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives have lost hundreds. Sunak has already conceded defeat in the election.
With Starmer set to take the reins of power today, TechInformed looks at the tech policies promised by the winning Labour Party in its manifesto, released in the run-up to the election.
To read the manifesto pledges from all of the major parties in the run-up to the 2024 UK election, see our 10 Tech Commitments breakdown.
Digital Infrastructure
- Developing a 10-year infrastructure strategy to boost digital infrastructure, benefiting mobile and broadband networks, AI, and data centres.
- Ease planning restrictions for data centres and designate major projects as nationally important to streamline approval processes.
- Supercharge tech and digital sectors through a new industrial strategy to restart the economy.
- Support the construction of data centres on brownfield sites, overcoming previous planning blocks.
Broadband and 5G
- Make a renewed push to fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.
- Work with Ofcom to encourage greater infrastructure sharing or cooperative building between network operators.
- Support Project Gigabit broadband roll-out program initiated by the current government.
- Address the slow roll-out of gigabit broadband under the Conservative government.
Tech Innovation and Regulation
- Create a new Regulatory Innovation Office to help regulators update regulations and speed up approval timelines for new technologies.
- Set up an Industrial Strategy Council to advise businesses and help harness new technologies.
- Modernise national planning policy to facilitate the construction of laboratories, digital infrastructure, and giga-factories.
- Work in partnership with industry to seize opportunities and remove barriers to growth.
Tax
- Modernise HMRC and tackle tax avoidance by increasing registration and reporting requirements and strengthening HMRC’s powers.
- Support the implementation of the OECD global minimum rate of corporate taxation to ensure multinational tech companies pay their fair share.
- Invest in new technology to build capacity within HMRC.
- Focus on tax reforms that level the playing field between high street and online giants.
AI (regulation/ investment)
- Give the AI Safety Institute statutory footing and introduce binding regulations on companies developing powerful AI models.
- Ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes and ensure safe AI development through comprehensive legislation.
- Support the development of the AI sector through the industrial strategy.
- Introduce laws to regulate AI companies and ensure ethical AI practices.
Almost half of Brits would have voted for an AI over Rishi Sunak, according to a survey by AIPRM.
Data
- Introduce its own version of the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill, focusing on innovation and data sharing in Open Banking and Smart Data schemes.
- Explore further measures to keep everyone safe online, particularly on social media, and expand fraud strategies to tackle online threats.
- Establish a National Data Library to support data-driven public services while maintaining strong safeguards.
- Build on the existing Online Safety Act to enhance online protection for all users.
Cyber security
- Conduct a Strategic Defence Review within the first year to address cyber-attacks and misinformation campaigns.
- Modernise policing techniques to keep pace with modern threats, integrating new technologies into law enforcement.
- Develop a comprehensive cyber defence strategy to protect critical infrastructure.
- Ensure the UK is fully prepared to deal with hybrid warfare, including cyber-attacks.
Public sector
- Use AI to improve public services and create a more efficient public sector, standardising approaches to procurement and IT.
- Modernise HMRC to tackle tax avoidance by investing in new technology and capacity.
- Promote the integration of digital technologies to streamline government operations and enhance service delivery.
- Support the development of data-driven public services through the National Data Library initiative.
NHS
- Harness AI to transform the speed and accuracy of diagnostic services, potentially saving thousands of lives.
- Develop the NHS App further to allow patients better control over their health and digitise children’s health records.
- Exploit the revolution in data and life sciences to transform healthcare delivery.
- Invest in technology to enhance patient care and streamline NHS processes.
Energy and Climate Change
- Aim to make Britain a clean energy superpower with zero-carbon electricity by 2030.
- Create Great British Energy, a publicly owned company that will co-invest in leading technologies and support local energy production.
- Capitalise Great British Energy with £8.3 billion over the next parliament.
- Promote the development of new onshore wind projects and nuclear power stations.
Read more TechInformed coverage of elections around the world pertaining to technology here.
