The NHS wove its web of care around me. From the get-go, I was supported with compassion, empathy, and world-class treatment by an incredibly dedicated team of doctors, nurses and surgeons tasked with helping me beat the disease. The NHS saved me. They saved me. My gratitude and respect for what they did is limitless. 

For more than 76 years, our national  health service has been saving and supporting all of us – our friends, families and  loved ones – through every life stage. Truly, this organisation  is woven into all our lives and my connection to it feels more  personal than ever. 

The NHS under threat

Healthcare, free at the point of use for all, is one of Britain’s noblest principles, admired around the world. It is an enduring  principle that drives me every day. Yet now, the very idea of  the NHS remaining free at the point of use is under threat.  

Lord Darzi’s 2024 review of the NHS, commissioned by this government, highlighted some shockingly critical problems.  Patient access had deteriorated: waiting lists for hospital,  GP, and mental health services had ballooned. Meanwhile,  A&E delays were posing genuine risks to patient safety.  Resources were poorly allocated: too much being spent on  hospitals, while community care and capital investment had  been woefully neglected, leaving buildings crumbling and  technology languishing in the last century. Productivity was  low despite increasing staff levels, with poor patient flow and  inefficient processes holding back output. Together, these  challenges had left the NHS overstretched, inefficient, and  struggling to meet rising demand. 

“Of course we already knew, before entering government, that business as usual  was not an option” ~ Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP.

Lord Darzi’s report simply confirmed the scale and urgency of the task: the “money in, poorer services out” cycle has to end.

10-Year Health Plan

That is why, earlier this year, we launched the most extensive  public engagement on the NHS in a generation, Change  NHS, culminating in the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan (10YHP).  

This is not a short-term sticking plaster, but a long-term  strategy to re-energise the health service. What differentiates  it from past efforts is delivery: the plan is already being  implemented, backed by real funding and structural reform. 

At its core are three “big shifts”: 

• from hospital to community, 

• from analogue to digital, 

• from sickness to prevention. 

These ambitions are not new, but this time they are matched  with the resources, workforce, and accountability needed to  make them real. The first months of implementation have  shown what delivery looks like in practice: 

Funding: an additional £29 billion has been committed in  real terms over the next three years, not just to patch holes,  but to invest in long-term productivity and reform. 

Workforce: over 2,000 extra doctors are already in post, with further expansion underway. 

Thousands of new appointments have been released  through recruitment and smarter scheduling, giving  patients faster access. And now, instead of sending every  patient straight into a hospital queue, more GPs are getting  rapid expert advice from specialists on when referrals are  needed. Hundreds of thousands of people are now avoiding  unnecessary delays and receiving faster treatment closer to  home. The 8am scramble to book GP appointments is over for  many as practices keep online booking systems open outside core surgery hours. 

Cancer and diagnostics: advances in screening and  detection technology are being rolled out nationally, enabling  earlier diagnosis, intervention and better survival rates. 

Med-tech innovation, from AI-assisted imaging to faster  blood tests, is moving from pilot to practice. 

Reducing waiting lists: the backlog is turning a corner.  By expanding capacity, streamlining pathways, and tackling  inefficiencies, we are shortening waits that frustrate patients  and demoralise staff. 

Productivity and efficiency: a determined drive to reduce  agency spend is paying off, with more shifts covered by  permanent staff, stabilising teams and saving money that  can be reinvested in frontline care. 

Indeed, acute trust productivity rose by 2.7 per cent over the past year, higher than our two per cent target.

“Early wins” driving the 10 year plan

Leadership and accountability: for the first time,  underperforming trusts are being named in league tables.  This transparency is driving a culture shift: strong leadership  will be celebrated, while failing institutions are expected to  improve rapidly under clear mandates. 

These early wins demonstrate the plan is not just about  aspiration, it’s about delivery, and it is already changing the patient experience. 

One of the most significant reforms underway is the creation of Neighbourhood Health Centres, integrating GPs, community nurses, mental health professionals, and diagnostic services  under one roof. By offering credible local alternatives, these  centres will, over time, reduce hospital admissions and ease  pressure on acute wards. Crucially, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs)  are being empowered to adapt these models to local needs,  while being held accountable for results. This blend of local flexibility and national rigour is the bedrock of sustainable reform. 

NHS app – a “digital front door”

The NHS App is also evolving into the true “digital front door”  of the service. By 2027, the NHS will have effectively set up  an ‘online hospital’ – NHS Online. This digital innovation will  connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere in England.  Already, thousands of extra appointments have been booked  digitally, saving patients time and reducing administrative  burdens for staff. 

“Perhaps the most profound shift is a renewed focus on prevention” ~ Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP.

From reactive to proactive care

For too long, the NHS has been forced into reactive care,  treating illness once it has taken hold. That is changing.  Expanded screening, vaccination campaigns, and proactive  management of chronic conditions are now central to  delivery. These measures are not only cost-effective but  also vital to addressing health inequalities, not least in the  younger generation. That’s why we’ve moved to ban sales of  energy drinks to under 16s, announced restrictions on junk  food TV advertising before the 9pm watershed, and tasked  supermarkets to tackle obesity by setting new standards to  make the average weekly shop healthier.  

Life expectancy still varies dramatically across England. By  embedding prevention into local services, we are beginning  to close the persistent gap in outcomes between wealthy  areas and deprived coastal or rural communities. 

The NHS is being given the clarity it has long lacked. The  new mandate sets sharper performance requirements on  waiting times, GP access, urgent and emergency care, and  cancer diagnosis, with progress published openly. 

Improvement plans are no longer optional. Autonomy is  being earned by results, while decisive interventions are made  where standards are not met. This is how we will make sure  ambition is translated into outcomes for patients. 

Final thought

The 10-Year Health Plan is ambitious, but it is also practical,  realistic, and frontloaded to deliver 

Patients are beginning to see shorter waits and better access.  Staff are benefiting from clearer priorities, stronger support,  and a renewed sense of purpose. This is the NHS we all want. A  modernised national health service, one that is stronger, fairer,  and reflective of our increasingly diverse and complex society. 

By embracing innovation, investing in people, technology,  and prevention, we’re building an NHS fit for the future:  resilient, responsive, and ready to serve the health needs of  this country for generations to come.  

Reeves’ long-awaited and much-anticipated Budget sets out the UK’s economic and fiscal prospects for the period to 2030–31, incorporating new data with the Government’s latest policy measures. The Budget forecasts an average real GDP growth of 1.5 per cent over the projection period; the figure is slightly weaker than anticipated in March 2025 due to a downgrade to forecast productivity growth.  

The repercussions of underperformance and weak recovery 

The Budget now expects underlying productivity to grow at 1 per cent, a drop from 1.3 per cent, a figure reflecting a decade of persistent underperformance and flailing signs of recovery following recent economic shocks. Although real economic growth is weaker, the Budget expects higher near-term nominal wage growth and slightly increased inflation, meaning nominal GDP will fall short of spring forecasts by only about one percentage point. This combination is “more tax rich”, as a greater share of income comes from labour – which is taxed more heavily than corporate profits. 

The impact of inflation 

The Budget’s holistic economic outlook has been moulded by continued inflationary pressures. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation is expected to average 3.5 per cent in 2025 and 2.5 per cent in 2026, both higher than previously expected, owing to stronger wage settlements and more persistent domestic inflation. Inflation is not expected to return to the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target until 2027, a year later than forecast in March.  

The OBR’s economic forecast: unemployment and earnings 

Low weekly earnings are forecast to grow by around 5 per cent in 2025, before gradually slowing. Unemployment is likely to hover near 5 per cent until 2027, reflecting subdued business confidence and rising inactivity, before falling back to the estimated equilibrium rate of 4 per cent. Real household disposable income growth remains weak, averaging just 0.25 per cent per year, well below historical norms.  

A new tax forecast

On the fiscal side, tax receipts are expected to be £16 billion higher in 2029–30 than in March’s forecast, driven largely by higher earnings and inflation. Income tax, National Insurance contributions, and VAT all rise relative to expectations.  

However, these gains are outweighed by an estimated £22 billion increase in pre-measures public spending by 2029–30. Key drivers include higher welfare spending – particularly disability-related benefits – increased debt interest, and sharply rising local authority expenditure, especially on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. As a result, baseline borrowing is now £17 billion higher this year and £6 billion higher in 2029–30 than previously forecast.  

Additional spending announced

Reeves’ Budget measures significantly alter the UK’s fiscal profile. Additional spending – particularly the reversal of cuts to winter fuel payments, changes to health-related benefits, and the removal of the Universal Credit two-child limit – adds £11 billion to borrowing by 2029–30.  

Tax rises, however, more than offset these pressures in later years. Freezing personal tax thresholds beyond 2028, aligning National Insurance on salary-sacrificed pension contributions, and increasing taxes on dividends, savings, and property incomes are collectively expected to raise £26 billion per year by 2029–30. The overall tax burden is projected to reach an all-time high of 38 per cent of GDP by 2030–31 – five percentage points higher than before the pandemic.  

Ongoing risks to the Budget’s success 

Borrowing is projected to fall from 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2025–26 to 1.9 per cent by 2030–31. Nevertheless, public sector net debt continues to rise, peaking at 97 per cent of GDP in 2028–29 before easing slightly. The Government meets its fiscal mandate – achieving a current budget balance by 2029–30 – with a margin of £22 billion, though the OBR warns this remains small relative to historical forecast errors and ongoing risks.  

Such risks include uncertainty surrounding productivity growth, interest rate fluctuations, equity market corrections, rising disability caseloads, local authority financial pressures, and uncosted spending commitments in defence and asylum systems.  

Fuel and energy announcements 

Reeves also announced an extra £505m for the Welsh Government over the spending review period. She also confirmed that, from 2028, electric vehicle drivers will face a new per-mile road charge. 

Fuel duty is also set to rise for the first time in 16 years. In the prematurely released Budget document, the OBR said the 5p per litre cut introduced by the Conservative Government in March 2022 would be extended only until September 2026, after which it would be phased out through a staggered increase. 

The Chancellor announced that the Government will end the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, a programme intended to reduce carbon emissions and support households in fuel poverty. 

Reeves said the scheme currently adds £1.7bn a year to household energy bills, and that 97 per cent of families in fuel poverty have paid more into it than they have benefited from. As a result, she claimed, the Government will remove the charge from April, cutting around £150 from the average household’s annual energy bill. 

Balancing the need to maintain reliable road funding with the goal of encouraging zero-emission transport remains challenging for the Government. The Chancellor’s announcement represents an initial move toward establishing a long-term funding approach that aims to support the upkeep and safety of the road network in the years ahead. 

ISA limit reduction 

Reeves also announced the reduction of the annual cash Individual Savings Account (ISA) limit from £20,000 to £12,000 in today’s Budget, along with an exemption for those over 65 who will be able to continue to save up to £20,000 in cash ISAs. Reeves stated her explicit aim to “reform our ISA system keeping the full £20,000 allowance while designating 8,000 of it exclusively for investment”.

The new limit for the cash ISA limit is expected to encourage over 2 million people to consider investing in the stock market, rather than holding all of their long-term savings in cash where they may be eroded by inflation. While it remains important for individuals to retain some cash savings for emergencies, Labour’s plan here demonstrates their intention to support more people to explore longer-term investment options, strengthening financial resilience and contributing to wider economic activity. 

Attacks from the opposition 

Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch focussed her rebuttal on the disjunct between Labour’s welfare priorities and the Conservative’s heightened focus on employment and getting people into work. She questioned “why anyone should believe anything Reeves says”, insisting that “Labour have lost control of welfare spending”.  

She particularly criticised Labour’s scrapping of the two-child benefit cap, claiming that the Conservative Government implemented the legislation in the first place to encourage people on benefits to spend their money “responsibly”. “People are frightened”, Badenoch insisted, citing the UK’s urgent need to get people “in work”, not merely having money thrown at obfuscatory and misguided “welfare spending”. “This country works when you make the country work for them” – “let’s get the country working again”, she insisted.  

Final thought 

While Reeves insists that her Budget improves the UK’s fiscal position on paper, the OBR’s analysis concludes that the UK’s public finances are set to remain “relatively vulnerable to future shocks”, with debt at historic highs and interest payments consuming a growing share of national income. Disapproval from the opposition, but more importantly resistance from Labour’s own backbenchers, will also be obstacles that will demand parlaying and action in Parliament, because Budget dissenters will have every reason to equivocate, amend and quibble with the Budget to slow its progress. 

The summit consisted of a series of three high-level panels, keynote contributions, and a fireside chat. It tackled several key issues, asking where AI is making strides in improving equality and where it may be reinforcing harmful biases.

Also broached were themes such as the role of AI in addressing safety, risk, and gender-based violence, and questions around how leaders and allies can embed fairness into procurement, governance, and real-world deployment. Participants all called for renewed opportunities for international collaboration to establish ethical, transparent AI ecosystems.

The event was organised by UKAI Women in AI organiser and Senior Policy Advisor Cecilia Jastrzembska, with support from fellow members of UKAI’s Women in AI working group. The event’s panel chairs included VP and Global Data Privacy Officer at Wipro Ivana Bartoletti, AI and Ethics Consultant at Full Fathom Five AI Claire Roberts (née Smith), and CEO/Principal Consultant, CKC Cares Ventures Ltd Cha’Von Clarke-Joell. 

This summit facilitated insightful discussions and valuable collaboration on ensuring AI serves as a force for good in shaping a more equitable future. 

Should Misogyny be classified as a “hate crime”?

The panel opened with a call to collective engagement, as Cecilia Jastrzembska urged participants to “be part of the conversation.” She described her work on a campaign with the European Parliament to classify misogyny as a hate crime, noting that “one woman is killed every three days in the UK and that has not changed since 2009.” Her message was that the norms established online will “materially affect our physical realm.”

Fighting the “global crisis” of violence and misogyny in AI

Head of AI at Globeducate Clara Hawking followed by emphasising that violence and misogyny constitute “a global crisis,” cautioning that the issue is too often framed as a women’s safety problem instead of “a cultural engineering problem” in which boys are “at the centre of it” and thus also harmed.

She described four forces shaping online misogyny: platforms that reward engagement, content that spreads quickly because it elicits strong reactions, generative tools that make creating sexualised or abusive content “incredibly easy,” and malicious groups using gamification to recruit and radicalise youth. This environment, she warned, is becoming “a training ground for a belief system of our entire generation.” She urged governments to act, insisting that “technology that’s harming children is unacceptable” and must be met with criminal and financial accountability. Without intervention, she said, “we will lose that whole generation.”

“One woman is killed every three days in the UK and that has not changed since 2009″ ~ Cecilia Jastrzembska

Transforming theory into real-world action

Researcher on Bias in AI Data at Durham University Dr Sarah Wyer widened the lens to technology strategy. She argued that a new wave of AI systems is designed not just to capture attention but to foster “emotional connection,” warning of violent simulations becoming normalised. She described scenarios where boys engage with AI “pretend girlfriend” chatbots and enact extreme violence without consequence. Such behaviour, she stressed, “doesn’t just stay within that space” and will translate into real-world harm. “If we don’t act now,” she said, “we’re going to see a huge spike in sexualised violence against women.”

“Technology that’s harming children is unacceptable” ~ Clara Hawking

Cha’Von Clarke-Joell highlighted the need for “allyship and AI leading systems that work for all,” stressing that men hold the majority of senior AI roles and thus play a crucial part in preventing AI from becoming “an accelerator of bias.” She framed the moment as part of a larger “digital poly crisis.”

The importance of male allyship

Male allyship advocate and Founder of Male Allies UK Lee Chambers said men must “consider their role within accelerating gender equality in tech,” noting that better diversity improves “data, design,” and decision-making. Panny Antoniou connected inclusion to national security, stating that in defence contexts, imbalance is “a matter of life and death,” because homogenous teams produce “dangerous outcomes.” Inclusion ensures systems work across borders and reduce “critical operational blind spots.” Claire Roberts corroborated this sentiment, insisting that “this topic and the importance of these kinds of conversations are more important than personal accolades”.

Creating more robust ethical frameworks

Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Lea Rattei argued that organisations must treat bias like security vulnerabilities, suggesting that “it needs to financially hurt” when companies fail. Compliance frameworks, she argued, should resemble SOC2 or ISO audits. Her core message was that we must “stop teaching women how to survive the system and start teaching men how to change the system.”

The summit concluded with Zahra Shah and her call to action: “The time for talking is over. We are now in the era of action.” Ultimately the summit convened lively discussions among progressive, forward-thinking experts, each committing to embedding the summit’s agreed structures for ethical AI regulation and digital literacy into their companies. 

UKAI is committed to supporting and encouraging female leadership within the AI industry and looks forward to hosting further online and in-person events for UKAI members and supporters, across the UK. The videos from this online summit will be shared on UKAI’s Website and Youtube channel over the next few weeks.

AI growth zones

One of the centrepiece initiatives will be the establishment of AI Growth Zones across the UK, designed to foster local economic development while driving AI innovation. These zones will generate thousands of new jobs, with the South Wales AI Growth Zone alone expected to create over 5,000 positions by 2035, including at the former Ford Bridgend Engine Plant. The Government is committing £5 million to each zone to encourage AI adoption by businesses and to enhance local workforce skills. The plan also includes £24.25 billion in private sector investment, with companies like Vantage Data Centres and Microsoft moving into collaborative partnerships with the Government to build the infrastructure for these zones.

Hardware quality improvement

A further major focus of the initiative will focus on advocating and supporting the development of AI hardware. The Government will act as a “first customer” for UK startups that are building high-quality AI hardware but lack the capital to scale. This move is backed by up to £100 million in Government funding to help British businesses compete on the global stage. The creation of a new Sovereign AI Unit with £500 million in funding will support the growth of AI startups, part of the Government’s ambition to make the UK a top destination for AI talent and investment.

£137 million to science and tech

AI’s potential for advancing science is also a key focal point. Within their AI investment remit, the Government has announced a strategy to use AI to accelerate breakthroughs in fields such as drug discovery and medical research. Up to £137 million will be invested to harness AI’s power in these areas, potentially leading to new cures and treatments. The Government has also set plans in the works to increase free access to AI computing resources for British researchers and startups, with a £250 million initiative to provide the necessary computing power for scientific breakthroughs.

AI’s contribution to the public domain

AI is also seen as a vital tool for improving public services and boosting productivity across sectors. Nobel prize winning British Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) economist and former Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Simon Johnson, along with other AI ambassadors, have been appointed to help guide the widespread adoption of AI in businesses and public services. Monzo Co-founder and Y Combinator General Partner Tom Blomfield will work to foster a startup ecosystem, while Google DeepMind VP Raia Hadsell will promote the UK’s role in AI innovation and security.

The UK on the international stage

In addition to the AI Growth Zones, several high-profile international companies are expanding their AI investments in the UK. Groq, an American AI platform, is set to open its first UK data centre in London, while Graphcore and SoftBank are expanding their AI development lab in Bristol. Furthermore, the AI Pathfinder initiative will deploy £150 million in AI infrastructure to ensure that the UK remains competitive in AI technology.

This strategy reflects the Government’s commitment to building a sustainable, high-growth AI economy that benefits all regions of the UK, with a particular focus on ensuring no community is left behind. The announcement has been hailed by industry leaders as a significant step forward in the UK’s AI journey, ensuring that British businesses, workers, and researchers have the tools and resources needed to thrive in the global AI market.

UKAI’s stance on the Government’s announcement

UKAI CEO Tim Flagg welcomes the Government’s promised AI package, describing the investment as “another significant step forward for the UK’s AI ecosystem. With two AI Growth Zones confirmed in under a week, the Government is delivering on the AI Opportunities Action Plan, signalling greater opportunity, access and long-term investment for British businesses building AI products and services”.

Flagg also celebrated “the South Wales Growth Zone, alongside the investment in North Wales, which brings major commitments to regional infrastructure, skills and high-value jobs. Combined with new funding for UK hardware development, expanded access to compute, and a strengthened science and innovation agenda, this creates a more supportive environment for companies looking to scale here in the UK”.

“Also encouraging” is the increased visibility of “experienced industry leaders stepping into national roles to provide clearer direction across adoption, capability and responsible deployment. For businesses, this should help create more coherence across Government engagement and growth pathways”.

“While the wider economic climate remains challenging”, Flagg concluded, “today’s announcements represent solid progress towards delivering the AI Opportunities Action Plan and reinforce the UK’s ambition to back its own innovators. The key now is turning this momentum into tangible benefits for the companies developing and deploying AI solutions across the country”.

“Today’s announcements represent solid progress towards delivering the AI Opportunities Action Plan and reinforce the UK’s ambition to back its own innovators” ~ CEO of UKAI, Tim Flagg.

Final thought

With this striking announcement for widespread new AI reforms and investments, the UK is positioning itself to become a leader in AI-driven economic and scientific progress, committing to create thousands of jobs and opportunities for the future. UKAI CEO Tim Flagg speaks for many business owners when he looks forward to the Government’s focus on highlighting new regional Growth Zones, improved infrastructure, expanded compute access and clearer national leadership – an indication of positive momentum for UK innovators despite wider economic pressures.

Ask Her to Stand Day

50:50 Parliament celebrated their annual ‘Ask Her To Stand’ event on 18th November in the House of Commons. The 50:50 Parliament movement serves women who are looking to get involved with local or national politics, offering tailored support to get women into positions of authority.

The ‘Ask Her To Stand’ event brought together a panel of cross-party MPs and other feminist voices to discuss equal representation in Parliament and why it matters. With a roster of speakers including Stella Creasy MP, Helen Maguire MP, Mims Davies MP and Melissa Keveren (founder of Girls Who Talk Politics), the evening was lively and optimistic, packed with powerful speeches advocating women’s involvement in politics.

The event formed part of the lead-up to Ask Her to Stand Day, held annually on 21 November to commemorate the passing of the Qualification of Women Act 1918. The groundbreaking legislation first allowed women over 21 to stand for election. Each year, the event – a powerful reminder of how far women’s rights has progressed in the UK – sees leaders from the political sphere and community come together to support the campaign. Because of this, Ask Her to Stand Day is also a crucial reminder of how much work needs to be done to achieve equity in parliament.

The work of 50:50 Parliament

Ultimately, the 50:50 Parliament movement has encouraged more than 3,000 women to sign up through the campaign’s Sign Up to Stand initiative. During the 2024 General Election, 101 women from the community stood to be elected, with 25 winning their constituency seats; and 9,000 members support the charity, with online membership figures reaching 30,000.

During the event, the audience heard from a range of campaigners, 50:50 Parliament ambassadors and spokespeople. 50:50 Parliament CEO Lyanne Nicholl celebrated the success of the movement thus far: “there are a lot of people talking about this”. But she was also keen to emphasise what still needs to happen: that an increased “level of education among the electorate will be crucial for progress”.

Mims Davies: advice to women in politics

Mims Davies MP followed up on her words, insisting that “it is incumbent on all of us to be honest about how resilient we need to be”. She described the peril of reticence on the part of women afraid to push themselves into roles of responsibility – “the most dangerous thing facing us”. More women, she argued, are “saying they don’t want to come forward”; this is something we need to “acknowledge: because that is how progress can come about”.

Mims Davies MP provided advice to women during the early days of their involvement in politics, aiming her words at prospective elective candidates getting used to life in Parliament. The first of her two key tips involved “getting lost!”. She explained that “looking and learning”, exploring your surroundings once you have built up a rhythm and “got into the flow”, will best equip you to achieve, knowing the facilities and connections you have on offer.

Her second piece of wisdom involved engagement in “cross party conversations”. Talking to a diverse range of politicians and case-workers of vastly different backgrounds will provide you with the collaborative discussions so vital for politics – broadening your perspectives, building your network and enriching your political and personal experience.

A “Jurassic” current political climate

“Not only should we be asking her to stand, but we need to ask him to stand aside” ~ Stella Creasy MP.

Stella Creasy MP agreed, with a powerful indictment of the current order: “not only should we be asking her to stand, but we need to ask him to stand aside”. She insisted that “too often we’re being judged by an out-of-date conception of what a politician should look like”. Creasy went on to describe the status quo in Parliament as “jurassic” – women are forced to fight against an atavistic model which is stuck in binary, inflexible modes of thinking about gender and power.

Shakira Akabusi: “Everyone has to start somewhere”

50:50 Parliament ambassador Shakira Akabusi compared women’s fight for political visibility to running: “regardless of speed, stamina and strength, you are a runner: everyone has to start somewhere”. She insisted that Ask Her to Stand “isn’t just for women who are already knowledgeable about politics; it is for every single woman who believes that her voice matters”. Akabusi also drew attention to the damning statistics – that last year’s historic high of 40.5 per cent of female MPs is already waning: “we can not let that momentum slide”.

Hope for continued progress

Ultimately the evening concluded on a positive note, but the abiding message still presents a challenge. With the numbers of women involved in politics dropping, everyone needs to work on creating an environment which nurtures female political talent, instead of intimidating, bullying or harassing them out of positions of responsibility.

In a culture where 2 in 3 young women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work, partly because managers and companies are under increasing levels of pressure, it is no surprise that they are increasingly reluctant to propel themselves forward into positions of responsibility. The work of 50:50 Parliament aims to work with compassion for accessibility, and the Ask Her to Stand event was a hopeful harbinger of change yet to come.

Words Matter’s Work

On October 29, Words Matter held a parliamentary drop-in in Parliament. The reception, hosted by Sharon Hodgson MP and organised by the charity, gave MPs and Peers the chance to hear directly from young people who have been affected by verbal abuse during their childhood, adolescence, and formative years. Whether hyper-critical teachers, pr threatening or mocking parents adult guardians, the young people share one belief in common: that the ‘sticks and stones’ proverb is false, and words really can leave abiding emotional impact on and shape a person’s life. 

Words Matter seeks to transform the way society behaves around and treats young people. The charity undertakes and analyses research to better understand the prevalence and consequences of verbal harm, while leading national campaigns to raise awareness of the issue and provide resources and training to promote healthier communication.

The Impact of Verbal Abuse for Young People

As young people agreed at the parliamentary drop-in, a child’s brain functions differently to an adult’s.  For example, criticism can be taken more severely, jokes can be misread and the impact of speech on the child cannot be consistently predicted. Ethan attested to this, adding that he was lucky enough to have supportive parents, but that many children in less favourable positions will struggle even more – looking to adults as trusted figures of responsibility is a habit that will break down upon mistreatment; the child will become confused, scared and question their own instincts. 

The fear and isolation of not having someone to talk to was a theme that also arose for Poppy (25). Although fortunate to have supportive friends, like Ethan, she emphasised the vital role of a consistent, steady, and compassionate parent. She also described the long-term repercussions of verbal abuse – extended periods of self-questioning, alienation, and depression can arise in the wake of verbal abuse aimed at young people whose world and self-conceptions are still in development. She celebrated art’s power to express and console, citing poetry as a genuine help in coming to terms with real, lived experiences.  

The work of Words Matter is vital. Verbal abuse of children is now the most prevalent form of child maltreatment  and mental health challenges among young people are at an all-time high. Children need positive support and encouragement from the adults in their lives more than ever – to help build their confidence, self-esteem and resilience.

But to allow parents and teachers to have the time to care and listen to young people, legislation and employers must cater for the extra time allowances required for pastoral care, as well as fostering welcoming, supportive environments to reduce stress and pressure on the adults who can become overloaded and unintentionally release such stress and pressures in the form of harsh language against a child.  

Words Matter works through a combination of research, awareness campaigns, and collaboration, seeking to expose the widespread impact of verbal abuse and provide solutions for change. The charity also partners with experts, policymakers, and those with lived experience to develop practical interventions that protect and empower children. 

With studies suggesting that up to 41 per cent of children experience verbal abuse from adults, Words Matter’s work is crucial, aiming to ensure that every child can grow up in an environment of respect and encouragement. Its vision is a society in which all children can thrive and reach their full potential, supported by adults who understand that the words they choose truly do matter.  

Launched this weekend, the Scotland CardioMetabolic Impact Study (SCoMIS) exemplifies the UK’s prevention-first approach to obesity, combining innovation, inclusion, and health data excellence.  

Led by IQVIA, in partnership with the Universities of Glasgow, Dundee, and Edinburgh, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, SCoMIS will focus on some of Scotland’s most economically deprived communities to ensure equitable access to innovation.

A National Effort to Tackle Obesity 

Supported by initial UK Government investment, SCoMIS will evaluate how incretin-based weight-loss medicines (GLP-1s) can be safely, effectively, and equitably delivered in routine NHS settings such as GP surgeries and community pharmacies. Beyond clinical outcomes, the study will assess impacts on and patients’ quality of life, health inequalities, NHS healthcare resource utilisation, capacity and economic productivity.

Professor of CardioMetabolic Health at the University of Glasgow and Principal Investigator for SCoMIS, Professor Jason Gill described the project as “a landmark real world study evaluating a new model of obesity care, providing incretin treatment via primary and community care to adults living with obesity, particularly those in the most economically deprived communities.” 

Reflecting the ambitions of the UK Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, the project brings together public and private expertise. Science Minister, Lord Vallance commented, “Scotland is home to a vibrant life sciences community, fuelled by strong public and private sector partnerships and supported by top-tier universities and the NHS. New ways of tackling obesity offer the chance to give people their health and wellbeing back – in some cases, offering a route back to the dignity of work.” 

Three Shifts in the UK’s Obesity Approach 

SCoMIS underlines the UK’s broader shift in tackling obesity through innovation and evidence: 

1. From sickness to prevention – Obesity must be addressed as part of the wider cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) prevention agenda, embedding a prevention-led NHS that drives both health and economic growth. 

2. From analogue to digital – The greatest and most sustainable weight loss occurs when medicines are combined with continuous digital behavioural support. 

3. From cost containment to economic growth – Providing access to proven obesity treatments and digital support will reduce long-term sickness, NHS utilisation, and welfare dependency, while improving productivity and fiscal resilience. 

UK Health Innovation Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, said, “As a practicing NHS surgeon and Glasgow MP, I know firsthand the impact of the obesity crisis that plagues Scotland – and the litany of health problems it leads to.  The UK Government is determined to move the dial on obesity and move our country on from sickness to prevention. 

More than 1 in 3 adults in Scotland’s most deprived areas are living with obesity. The UK Government is committed to tackling inequality wherever it finds it in our country. It’s why this landmark UK Government investment is targeting help where it’s needed most in Scotland and meeting people where they are and backing helping the NHS services they trust to treat them. 

The UK Government sponsorship of this landmark Scottish SCoMIS study is a live example that our Life Sciences Sector Plan is working in every part of our country – backing British innovation, Scottish jobs and positioning the UK as a global leader in health research.” 

Harnessing the Power of UK Health Data 

Scotland’s unique Community Health Index (CHI) number provides lifelong, linkable health records that, when combined with IQVIA’s real world evidence capabilities, create one of Europe’s richest anonymised datasets. This infrastructure enables policymakers to identify communities that stand to benefit most, monitor outcomes in real time, and adapt commissioning based on live evidence. 

OPIP: Replacing a Broken System 

The current tiered obesity-care model has failed people living with obesity, with inconsistent access and slow referral routes. The Obesity Pathway Improvement Programme (OPIP) proposes a single, integrated pathway that embeds obesity management into chronic disease care, supported by digital providers and tracked through linked data to ensure equity and accountability. 

A National Opportunity for Growth and Health 

If fully realised, this integrated model could transform lives and strengthen the economy within the course of this Parliament – reducing type 2 diabetes, improving wellbeing, shortening NHS waiting lists, lowering absenteeism, and supporting healthier, more equitable communities. 

As IQVIA’s SVP and General Manager for Northern Europe, Tim Sheppard notes, “SCoMIS aims to build capacity in primary care and improve outcomes for patients, whilst driving economic growth.” 

With clear ministerial support and partnership across the public, private, and academic sectors, SCoMIS demonstrates how the UK can lead globally in obesity innovation – turning scientific progress into lasting health and prosperity for all. 

The NHS 10-Year Plan sets out ambitious goals for mental health services, but delivering on these promises is far from straightforward. The challenges aren’t about ambition; they’re about the system itself. Commissioning, procurement, and executing meaningful change is complex, slow, and often risk-averse. For startups like Psyomics, a digital front-door technology provider for mental health services, these barriers are very real.

Navigating Risky Hurdles

The NHS is designed to mitigate risk. Decisions pass through multiple layers of approval, budgets are annual and inflexible, and movement of funds is tightly restricted. Promising innovations can face slow progress or get stuck in “pilot graveyards” with no clear path to scale. Change fatigue is real: staff are prioritising immediate pressures over potential innovations, capacity is limited, and the system isn’t set up for rapid transformation.

Startups operate differently. Risk is part of our DNA. We iterate quickly, make fast decisions and are conscious of cash flow. Change isn’t a threat, it’s essential for survival and growth. This mismatch between ambition and action explains why collaboration often feels like an uphill struggle. Procurement frameworks prioritise risk mitigation, not innovation, and complex approval layers, vague contracts, and fragmented commissioning mechanisms can kill momentum.

Turning Ambition Into Reality

Delivering the NHS 10-Year Plan requires more than good ideas; it demands solutions designed for scale, accountability, and sustainability.

‘The NHS is designed to mitigate risk’ ~ Dr Melinda Rees CEO

In this landscape, where the NHS is both commissioner and service provider, Psyomics acts as a trusted assessment platform across primary, secondary, and tertiary care. By reducing repeated patient storytelling, accelerating time to treatment, and standardising assessments, the platform exemplifies how digital innovation can align with the 10-Year Plan while overcoming systemic barriers. Our proven track record of supporting the NHS includes

· Scalability: map existing care pathways to see where new solutions fit naturally. Innovations should follow outcome-based “test and scale” models, rather than pilots with no clear path forward, to ensure successful initiatives can grow across the system.

· Accountability: be transparent about a pilot’s scope, limitations, and ambitions. Embed practical milestones and draw on frameworks such as

NICE’s Early Value Assessment to make progress measurable and aligned with system-wide priorities.

· Sustainability: speak the NHS language – cost-effectiveness, ROI, and cost-utility. Collaborate with analysts, academics, and evaluation experts. Every innovation must be backed by robust evidence, demonstrating value to clinicians, patients, and the wider system.

Real-world Impact

Psyomics helped the NHS to see the benefits of this approach across multiple patient pathways

· Adult Community Services: the Psyomics platform captures robust symptom assessments alongside patient histories, helping clinicians select the right care pathway. This improves engagement, streamlines clinical flow, reduces administrative burden and allows faster, more comprehensive initial assessments.

· Children and Young People: early symptom assessments, including input from carers, support more refined pathway selection. Clinicians can engage patients and families more effectively, streamline assessments and track outcomes using PROMs.

· Neurodiversity Diagnosis: long waits can be stressful, but the Psyomics platform identifies comorbidities early, helping clinicians signpost care and provide a positive waiting experience. A biopsychosocial formulation upfront enables priority pathway selection and holistic care.

· Talking Therapies: comprehensive patient profiling identifies complex cases quickly, freeing Tier 3 clinicians’ time and improving referral-to-recovery rates.

The Path Forward: Partnership, Capacity, and Outcomes

Although improvements are slowly being made, the system isn’t built for innovation. Driving real change requires partnerships. Early collaboration builds credibility, aligns motivations and ensures relevance. Increasing capacity must be a priority, not an afterthought. Above all, patient outcomes must guide every decision.

Inaction is the greatest risk to patients. Progress starts with trust, shared purpose, and a mindset shift: change isn’t a threat…it’s progress, but only when driven by clarity and commitment from all sides.

The Psyomics Approach

Psyomics has developed a digital pathway to streamline mental health assessments for adults aged 18-65. Created with clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and the University of Cambridge, the platform standardises how clinicians capture patient data, reducing inconsistencies, administrative burden, and delays.

Patients provide information on symptoms, social determinants, and personal factors such as suicidality, family dynamics, and financial security. Clinicians use this data to determine the most appropriate care pathway, ensuring timely, personalised support. Key benefits include

· User-friendly Process: 25 per cent of submissions occur outside office hours, increasing accessibility.

· Comprehensive Data Collection: clinicians make faster, better-informed decisions.

· Streamlined Referrals: patients no longer repeat their story multiple times, improving engagement.

‘Patient outcomes must guide every decision’ ~ Dr Melinda Rees CEO

By combining clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology, Psyomics is helping shape the future of mental health care, making it faster, more efficient, and more patient-centred.

Final Thought

The NHS 10-Year Plan is ambitious, but its success will depend on more than intent. The current system often works against innovation, making collaboration essential to driving change. Early partnerships can build credibility and ensure new approaches remain relevant, while patient outcomes must always come first – underpinned by trust, shared purpose, and clear commitment. Delivering the plan requires systems that welcome innovation, partnerships that close gaps, and technologies that allow clinicians to focus on what they do best: caring for patients.

Rhodri ab Owen

Managing Director of Camlas

Rhodri ab Owen, Managing Director of Camlas, writes on yesterday’s by-election in Caerphilly: how the result is a bolstering cause for hope for Plaid Cymru, how it has dealt a blow to Reform UK, and why Labour may ‘face a total wipeout’ in May.

Plaid storms to victory in Caerphilly

With a yellow weather warning in place, nerves were high in Caerphilly as storm Benjamin struck on polling day. Many were concerned that it would dampen turnout in the seat, which was expected to go to a nail-biting finish between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK. In the end, Plaid Cymru stormed to victory with a turnout figure of 50.43%, which meant that for the first time ever a devolved election in Wales achieved a turnout of more than 50%.

It was 14th time lucky for Plaid Cymru’s candidate, Lindsay Whittle, who first stood in the 1983 General Election for Caerphilly. When he is sworn in as the new Senedd Member, he will only hold the seat for six months. The Senedd election next May will bring with it a new voting system and new constituencies. However, this by-election was seen as a barometer of the state of Welsh politics, and it certainly offered a clear signal that long standing political patterns in Wales are under immense pressures.

A catastrophic result for Labour

If yesterday’s result was replicated in May, Labour would be facing a total wipeout under the new Senedd electoral system.

There is no hiding from this result for Labour, a party which has been such a dominant force in the area. They have held the Caerphilly seat at every single election since 1918, with substantial majorities. The old adage of weighing votes for Labour applied here. Trailing in a poor third place will be a traumatic result for the party.

The blame game has already started, with many turning their anger towards the UK Government and calling on First Minister Eluned Morgan to draw a clearer distinction between Welsh Labour and the ever increasingly unpopular UK Labour party. She has tried, but so far failed to do so, and the pressure will be on for stronger leadership and a more distinctive Welsh way of doing business.

This result also means that currently, Labour holds 29 out of the 60 Senedd seats, making it even harder for the party to pass its 2026/27 budget. There will be months of negotiations ahead for Eluned Morgan, as she tries to reach agreement with the opposition parties.

‘If yesterday’s result was replicated in May, Labour would be facing a total wipeout under the new Senedd electoral system’ ~ Rhodri ab Owen

A Government in waiting

Plaid Cymru will be delighted with the scale of this victory in what was predicted to be a tight race. This historic win for the party will solidify Plaid’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth’s position as the First Minister in waiting in Wales, and this will be a launchpad to that campaign. Recent polls had seen Plaid neck and neck with Reform UK and the party’s strategy of positioning themselves as the only credible alternative to Farage’s party paid dividend in Caerphilly – a strategy they will seek to replicate in the months ahead to May.

Disappointment for Reform

Reform UK will also be disappointed with this result, despite a decent second position. With high expectations, the party poured money and resource into the constituency, with numerous visits from Nigel Farage and senior party figures. Attacks from Plaid and Labour around Russian bribes to former high-profile party member, Nathan Gill, seem to have impacted their candidate, Llyr Powell, who also worked for Mr Gill as a caseworker during his time as an MEP. Their ambitions to be the largest party in the Senedd will have been dealt a knock in the early hours of this morning and a period of reflection will be needed for the party.

‘Without a shadow of a doubt, there appears to be a realignment of Welsh politics’ ~ Rhodri ab Owen

Realignment of Welsh politics

Without a shadow of a doubt, there appears to be a realignment of Welsh politics. The Caerphilly by-election result replicated what opinion polls have been saying for some time in Wales, that over a century of Labour’s dominance is coming to an end. It’s difficult to imagine what the party can do with only six months to go until the May election, to turn the tide back in its favour. The Caerphilly by-election really is a transformational moment in Welsh electoral politics.

Ruth Jones’s Early Career

Ruth Jones is a rare figure in politics, having opened her career not in policy or business, but in public health; she was a physiotherapist for 32 years before becoming a trade union full time officer. But, as she explained, this is not as great a discrepancy as it may at first seem: “in both roles, you’re advocating for people; you’re representing patients or clients or staff”.

She repeatedly draws on her NHS experience during the webinar, testament to the fundamental, formative training she garnered from her work: although not centred in public policy, clearly of invaluable worth for human skills, team leadership and unified values.

She explained that “as a member of staff, I was always part of a team”; regardless of status or role, as a manager of a team of 50, she “could never have done that job without the cooperation of the team” – a constantly evolving and diverse team of “admin, support workers, cleaners, porters”. Her work gave her a deep understanding of the “spirit of teamwork”: “everybody had to work together to make sure we got the best for the patient or the client that we were working with”.

“Health is a massive issue. The NHS is a national health service, but at the moment it seems to be a national sick service” ~ Ruth Jones MP

Ruth Jones’ entry into politics

Frustrated by her limited power to affect real, tangible change during her time as a trade union officer, Jones swiftly learnt that “you need to get higher up the food chain to actually make a difference”. From campaigning in unwinnable seats to winning her home seat in 2019, Jones’ political career saw her return to her homeland, having lived in her victorious constituency for most of her life, and having been a Labour member for over 20 years.

Ruth Jones’ loyalty to, and firm sense of, the importance of Welsh identity spans back to her political inspirations. She cited Nye Bevan and Neil Kinnock – “brilliant orators, passionate, powerful and really strong advocates for their local community”. She endeavours, through her roles as constituency MP and Welsh Select Committee chair, to emulate their sincerity; to serve as a “passionate representative of her patch”.

‘Nye Bevan and Neil Kinnock were brilliant orators, passionate, powerful and really strong advocates for their local community’ ~ Ruth Jones MP

Welsh Affairs Committee Operations

As Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, Ruth Jones outlined the Committee’s cross-party remit to examine how Westminster policy affects Wales and to scrutinise the UK Government’s engagement with devolved institutions.

“We work together – Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats – to get the best outcomes for Wales“, she explained, highlighting the difference between a Select Committee’s modelling on collaboration and balance, and the often adversarial nature of Prime Minister’s Questions.

The Committee focuses on issues effecting people in Wales, specifically retained powers such as justice, immigration, and defense. Its current inquiries include prisons, probation and rehabilitation; the economic regeneration of coalfields and the steel industry; and the impact of trade and inheritance tax on Welsh farmers. The Committee questions the Secretary of State for Wales twice a year and invites the First Minister from the Senedd, a partnership crucial for avoiding overlap and ensuring comprehensive coverage of issues, particularly regarding devolved powers like health and education.

Cross-Border Health and Social Care

Upon Fatima Kamara’s questioning on the most important areas of healthcare reform facing the UK Government, Jones’ response was immediately impassioned: “Health is a massive issue. The NHS is a national health service, but at the moment it seems to be a national sick service”. She insisted that Government should be looking at “far more” preventative health promotion and ill health prevention in order for “people to live long, happy and healthy lives”: “it’s no good living to the age of 90 if you’re bedbound for 10 years”.

Another crucial point made, and one clearly influenced by Jones’ career in healthcare, was that the UK needs “to have a long term view on health”. She referred to the Smoking White Paper of the 1970s to 1990s which linked cancer to nicotine – but highlighted that it “didn’t actually show results for 30 years because people were still smoking”, resulting in no decrease in cancers for 20 years. Healthcare developments, she insisted, happen far outside the parliamentary terms, which is why they prove so challenging to push through – but are all the more vital for their comparative ostensible lack of urgency, when pitted against more short-term solvable issues.

Ruth Jones praised the teamwork that underpins the NHS at every level and urged closer integration between hospitals, community care, and local authorities to reduce pressure on services. However, she feels, health and social care systems must increasingly operate together if hospital backlogs and patient flow are going to be better handled.

With heightened focus on Wales, Jones expressed how the country faces the challenges of an older, sicker population and the emigration of younger generations, leading to a shortage of care staff. She explained how “we need young people, at the very basic level to look after our older people”.

Although the Welsh Government has legislated Wales as a country of sanctuary, welcoming skilled immigrants to fill vacancies, particularly in the NHS, delays in processing legislative papers for refugees and asylum seekers prevent them from working. Such issues exacerbate staffing shortages and negatively impact both their and patients’ well-being.

“We need young people, at the very basic level to look after our older people” ~ Ruth Jones MP

Skills, Migration and the Welsh Workforce

Ruth Jones’ positive, welcoming stance on immigration is clear, albeit, self-admittedly, “going against the rhetoric that’s out there in terms of England in quite a strong way”. Jones describes how her mother, recently in hospital, was treated by a “brilliant” network of staff whose “vast majority were from overseas”: “they were non-white, from overseas, and they were absolutely superb”.

“Well, I’m not being funny, you’ve been retired 20 years. They’re not taking your job, they are filling a vacancy which is not your job and they don’t want your job because to be honest, they’re very highly qualified as a lawyer, a barrister, whatever. They want to come in and give to the country that has taken them in’’ ~ Ruth Jones MP

Jones expressed her frustration, empathising with foreign workers who struggle to attain their right to remain and legislative papers dealt with – “during that time, you’re not working, you’re existing on a pittance, you’re dealing with your family, you’ve got nothing. It’s bad for your mental health, it’s bad for your physical health, it’s bad for your family”.

She emphasised how the Government should prioritise getting such people into work: we can do that, “it’s not that difficult” – but political, social pressures and red-tape are debarring Labour from swifter action.

“We need to ensure that working people have hope, because you can have all the stability and all the talk about growth, but if you haven’t got hope, then people just do lose heart” ~ Ruth Jones MP

On the sorts of arguments espoused by right wing spokespeople such as Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage, she is scathing and blunt: “somebody said, in my constituency, “oh, they’re coming, they’re taking my job”. And I said, “Well, I’m not being funny, you’ve been retired 20 years. They’re not taking your job, they are filling a vacancy which is not your job and they don’t want your job because to be honest, they’re very highly qualified as a lawyer, a barrister, whatever. They want to come in and give to the country that has taken them in””.

Jones wants to dismantle the “right wing rhetoric which says they’re freeloaders, they’re coming in to get the benefit”. They don’t want the benefit, she argues; “they want to give back”. She describes the result of proper integration as a powerful tool for enhancing the community: they become a family, paying taxes, being involved in the community: “So do you know what? I think we should welcome them with open arms”.

‘I think we should welcome them with open arms’ ~ Ruth Jones MP

Energy Transition and Economic Growth in Wales

Ruth Jones emphasises how Wales is well-positioned to capitalize on natural energy resources due to its geography: “we’ve got wind, we’ve got solar and we’ve also got tidal”. She expressed her keenness to establish a reliable and secure energy system independent of external geopolitical influences.

Jones also set out the key challenges for renewable energy in Wales, which will increasingly include connecting renewable sources to the national electricity grid, especially in mid-Wales, and developing battery storage solutions to capture and release energy as needed.

She celebrated Newport’s innovative clean energy transformation: a city boasting the largest semiconductor cluster in the UK, as well as multiple data centers, which are power-hungry and require robust renewable energy infrastructure.

Future Priorities

Ruth Jones explained the Government’s heavy emphasis on ‘growth and stability’, but has a more human message to deliver: ‘But what we do need to do is ensure that working people have hope, because you can have all the stability and all the talk about growth, but if you haven’t got hope, then people just do lose heart’.

She continued, expanding on the Government’s focus on apprenticeships, training and increased employment levels: ‘Jobs, jobs, jobs, yes, of course, but not just jobs at any cost. We want decent jobs which are well paid’.

And permanence: Jones believes in creating jobs for good, and for the long term – jobs still existent for the next half century – also something that she feels will prove crucial for communities.

‘Jobs, jobs, jobs, yes, of course, but not just jobs at any cost. We want decent jobs which are well paid’ ~ Ruth Jones MP

Ruth Jones’ overarching values rest on a celebration of both small-scale community togetherness, and cooperation on a national level; in short, unity. It is a value which has guided her from before her political journey even began, when she became aware of the power of a healthy and supportive hospital team. And it is a value which, in today’s climate of social entropy, is more apt than ever.

Ruth Jones’ words on immigration were refreshingly honest; Labour continue to remain circumspect about their rhetoric on the issue given the UK’s immense public backlash, but Jones’ support of an ‘open-armed welcome’ is a bold gambit, promising and hoping for deeper community integration for both Brits, and people from around the world.

At a Birmingham-based summit on regional investment, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her plans to abolish ‘needless form filling’ in order to accelerate economy growth. She described the plan’s focus on ‘simpler corporate rules’ – rules which will ease the burden on small businesses to register and submit data to Companies House. Tim Flagg, CEO of UKAI, expressed his support for the agenda, as he believes deregulation of AI will streamline and enhance its growth and development potential, without needless bureaucracy hampering the progress of innovators.

Accelerating Responsible AI Growth

Business Secretary Peter Kyle described Labour’s business policy as ‘pro-worker and pro-business’, emphasising the likely sizeable impact of red-tape-cutting on AI. To reduce the administrative cost of regulation, and to aid the commercial development of AI, the government intends to remove large swathes of regulation from AI technology.

Kyle insists that these measures will be both ‘targeted’ and ‘safe’, comparing Labour’s deregulation strategy against the Conservative government’s stagnation. They did not ‘do enough on regulation’ despite having promised to, he argues.

UKAI Insight

UKAI has welcomed this announcement, keen to streamline regulation and establish new AI Growth Labs to position the UK at the forefront of responsible innovation, global competitiveness, and productivity.

UKAI CEO Tim Flagg described Reeves’ announcement as ‘exactly the kind of action needed’ in Britain’s current technological climate. He celebrated its balance of bureaucracy reduction and experimentation-space creation, with its maintenance of guardrails for AI development. To Flagg, this is a parliamentary signal highlighting how ‘responsible innovation and economic growth go hand in hand’.

‘Together, we can build a thriving AI economy that reflects the UK’s values of innovation, integrity, and inclusion’ ~ Tim Flagg, CEO, UKAI.

Creating Space for Safe Innovation

Since 2024, UKAI has advocated for the introduction of sandbox environments – safe testing spaces that allow developers and regulators to explore emerging technologies without compromising ethical or legal standards.

Labour’s proposed AI Growth Labs reflect this vision and have the potential to accelerate innovation that directly benefits society: from improving healthcare delivery and infrastructure efficiency to enhancing public services and private sector competitiveness. Flagg highlighted the importance of ‘transparency, accountability, and fairness from the start’.

‘Responsible innovation and economic growth go hand in hand’ ~ Tim Flagg, CEO, UKAI.

Empowering Regulators to Enable Growth

The Government’s recognition of regulators as active enablers of innovation rather than passive gatekeepers were also strongly welcomed by UKAI’s Tim Flagg. By equipping regulatory bodies with the resources and flexibility to work collaboratively with businesses and developers, he expressed, the UK can foster a more agile and responsive ecosystem for responsible innovation.

‘Empowering regulators to be proactive partners in innovation, not just gatekeepers, will help create a more agile and responsive regulatory environment’. He expressed the need to match economic opportunity with public confidence, explaining UKAI’s readiness to practically position ‘responsible innovation’ at the forefront of business and policy.

AI: an Engine of Sustainable Growth

As the Government places growth at the heart of its economic strategy, UKAI feels, the integration of responsible AI into that mission presents an opportunity to transform productivity, attract investment, and deliver tangible, equitable, public benefit.

‘Empowering regulators to be proactive partners in innovation, not just gatekeepers, will help create a more agile and responsive regulatory environment’ ~ Tim Flagg, CEO, UKAI.

Flagg expressed his keenness to collaborate with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and industry partners to contribute to the development of the AI Growth Labs and turn these ambitions into action.

His concluding statement was one of ambition and innovation: ‘Together, we can build a thriving AI economy that reflects the UK’s values of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. This is a further step towards making the UK a leader in responsible AI’.

Why the UK must lead in technology

Reflecting on his time at the Treasury, Hunt described how he was struck by the sheer scale and diversity of the UK’s tech ecosystem, now valued at over £1 trillion and ranked third in the world behind only the United States and China.

‘We don’t talk about it very much because there aren’t many famous British tech names’, he admitted, but our technological ecosystem, to him, is both ‘exciting’ and ‘extraordinary’. Hunt cited Great Britain’s globally-leading universities (‘We’ve got the London, Oxford, Cambridge triangle’), and that outside the US, the UK is ‘the world’s biggest financial services sector’. He celebrated the ‘great’ spin-offs, science parks and tech parks owned by our universities – ‘every bit as good as what happens at Stanford and the Ivy Leagues’.

Hunt first announced his UK Silicon Valley ambition during his 2022 Autumn Statement, a period he described as ‘a pretty horrible moment’ for the economy. Despite the difficult context of rising energy prices and fiscal tightening, he said the idea was met not with ridicule but with recognition: ‘no one laughed. People understood we’ve got something going for us’. The former Chancellor believes the UK’s strengths in artificial intelligence, defence, and scientific innovation will underpin the country’s long-term economic growth.

‘My definition of great is very simple. It’s a country that can shape the world as well as be shaped by it’.

How to Power Growth

Hunt said the UK’s ambition to rival the US and China in technology depends on keeping British start-ups in the UK once they are successful and developed: ‘we’ve got to create an infrastructure where homegrown companies can IPO in the UK without having to go to NASDAQ or elsewhere once they hit unicorn status’. He claimed that British pension funds currently work at loggerheads to growth, rarely investing in domestic innovation, as opposed to other countries: ‘In the US, Canada and Australia, if you do an IPO, you can be confident that domestic pension funds will pour in. In the UK, less than 4% of their holdings are UK-based’.

He insisted that as a result, ‘North Americans are making more money out of our great hopes for the future than Brits are’, noting that 45% of British venture capital funding comes from North American pension funds, compared to just 3% from British ones.

Hunt also warned that energy prices could become a critical barrier to AI development and data-driven industries. ‘We have the highest energy costs in Europe. By 2034, data centres will use more electricity than the entire Indian economy. We’ve got to sort out our energy prices – they’re just too high’. Lower energy costs, he argued, are essential not only for competitiveness but also for the UK’s ambition to be a leader in AI infrastructure.

‘No one laughed. People understood we’ve got something going for us’.

Reforming the NHS

Jeremy Hunt’s belief that structural NHS reform is vital to accelerating technological adoption; that it is evidence of national greatness, the ‘most centralised health system in the world’, but challenged with healthcare innovation.

Hunt argued that excessive central control has made the system risk-averse and slow to adopt innovation. He called for decentralisation, giving more autonomy to hospitals and local health trusts; akin to the reforms that improved state schools over the past two decades: ‘when we gave headteachers power over budgets and accountability, we saw English schools become the best in the Western world. There’s no reason the NHS can’t do the same’.

He said decentralisation would not only reduce bureaucracy but also empower NHS leaders to partner more effectively with start-ups in diagnostics, predictive analytics and drug discovery. He insisted that were he to repeat his time as Health Secretary, he would have scrapped national targets, criticising them for making the system ‘too cumbersome and bureaucratic’.

AI Regulation

Hunt also addressed the UK’s position between the EU’s heavily regulated model and the US’s laissez-faire approach to artificial intelligence. He expressed his support for the US model: one of minimising regulation, ‘but being prepared to clear up the mess if there is one’.

Hunt clearly feels that Europe’s restrictive approach risks stifling innovation: ‘The EU asks, ‘Why don’t we have a Google or Microsoft?’ You’ll never get one with that kind of heavy-handed regulation’. But he did praise the UK’s tradition of independent, pragmatic regulation, noting that the country has led on digital safety and transparency, including age verification laws. He emphasised that it is most important to ‘keep regulators independent and responsive’.

The Politics of Optimism

Throughout the discussion, Hunt’s emphasis consistently rested on matters of national confidence. From the tech sector to health and regulation, he argued that the UK already has the talent, institutions and industrial base to compete globally, but that structural reform and investment are needed to unlock its full potential.

Hunt cited Donald Trump’s social media strategy as a positive harbinger of ‘this new world we’re in’ – that the US president seems able to tap into the public psyche, giving him a ‘unique ability to both listen and communicate’. His ability to do so, Hunt argues, rests on his spending three hours every day posting online – something that, Hunt feels, in British politics, should be ‘prioritised’.

In a political climate often defined by pessimism, Hunt clearly seeks to be a voice of pragmatic optimism: that Great Britain is indeed great, already equipped with the tools, the talent, and the institutions it needs to thrive – it simply needs the courage to use them. The question remains to be seen whether a public who have withstood so much pessimism will treat such optimism with cynicism, or support.