Gov Change DSIT Secretary and Leaves UK Telecoms Minister Role Vacant
The UK government currently seems to be going through an extended cabinet reshuffle, which yesterday saw the Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Peter Kyle MP, being moved to the role of Secretary of State for Business and replaced by Liz Kendall MP. But the UK Telecoms Minister, Chris Bryant MP, has also gone and is currently without a replacement.
Bryant’s former role as Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms is an important one because he was responsible for overseeing UK digital infrastructure and telecoms (broadband and mobile etc.), the Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency, data protection (including Data Bill), the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), digital inclusion and even space sector growth / UK Space Agency (UKSA).
We’re currently keeping an eye on the Ministerial Appointments page for this reshuffle to see who, if anybody, will get the telecoms minister role. But in the past it has sometimes taken a few days or even weeks before permanent replacements are found. The role may potentially also be changed or merged into something else. The government has informed ISPreview that they should be able to provide an update in the coming days.
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In the meantime, we note that Liz Kendall MP tends to have more historic experience in healthcare, pensions/social welfare and politics in general than telecoms, science or technology. We of course don’t expect government MPs to all have an inherent understanding of their new brief, but sometimes it does help, especially when it comes to the complex fields of telecoms and science.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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https://www.gov.uk/government/people/ian-murray
Is he not likely to replace Chris Bryant?
Somewhat confusingly, he appears to have held the role only very briefly, but is now listed as a previous holder today:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state-for-data-protection-and-telecoms
I’m not sure what they’re doing, but it seems like a rejig of the role may be looming, possibly because of the changes with the UK Space Agency.
Trouble is these days politics has become such a toxic environment that getting people with relevant experience is nigh on impossible, so we’ve just ended up with a bunch of career politicians.
Her appointment I guess is what happens when people are appointed because of who they are rather than knowledge of what the department does.
Crikey and both Bryant and Kyle were scheduled to be keynote speakers at a variety of industry conferences this month including tech UK and connected Britain. How does this look to industry when you move ministers in such critical roles after just 12 months.
It’s all rudderless.
When a Government does a big reshuffle, the new ministers often rejig the policy portfolios they are responsible for.
This process than take a week or two.
It’s different than when you have one Minister leaving, when they usually appoint a direct replacement.
This post deserves someone with few other responsibilities. The Deputy PM, David Lammy, is the obvious choice.
Ah yes the guy who lies about not seeing police with one standing right behind him and also has massive TDS