Starmer reshuffle places key focus on data, AI and skills

The UK Government’s wide-ranging reshuffle on Friday marks the most significant reorganisation since the General Election, reflecting Sir Keir Starmer’s desire to take stock after a year in office. The scale of the changes is large, prompted in part by the decision to move Angela Rayner from her role as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary. This adjustment has allowed Starmer to promote trusted allies, reward those performing well, and refine the remits of departments and ministers he felt were not yet delivering.

For DMA members, there are clear signals that growth, digital transformation and skills remain central to the government’s agenda. The appointment of Chris Bryant to the Department for Business and Trade is particularly notable. Having built a strong track record across data, AI, digital regulation and telecoms, his expanded role into a core economic strategy underlines that these issues are now seen as key drivers of growth. Bryant’s understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the data-driven economy offers encouragement that business concerns in our sector will remain high on the agenda.

Another striking development is the rapid elevation of Darren Jones. Once chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Data Analytics, Jones is now among the Prime Minister’s most trusted confidants and one of the most senior figures in the cabinet. His knowledge of data and AI policy is well established, and his influence at the top table means these issues will continue to be prioritised at the heart of government decision-making. For DMA members, having a voice with such grounding in data and digital in the senior ranks of government is a welcome shift.

The reshuffle also saw a significant institutional change: the merger of skills responsibilities from the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions. This new configuration reflects an important recognition that, in the age of AI, many workers will need to upskill and retrain, often moving between industries and career paths. By placing skills policy closer to employment strategy, government signals its intent to deliver a more coherent system to help individuals and businesses adapt. For the DMA, which has long advocated for lifelong learning in data and marketing, this is a positive step.

Delivery is clearly a theme. The decision to retain Baroness Jacqui Smith, a former senior secretary of state under Tony Blair, to support Pat McFadden on the skills brief demonstrates a commitment to building on experience. The DMA has consistently highlighted the importance of trade associations in shaping and delivering effective skills programmes. In this new skills brief allied with work responsibilities, we will continue to advocate for the importance of industry in informing key skills.

Furthermore, energy minister Michael Shanks has been given additional responsibilities in business and trade. The government wants to reduce planning difficulties for energy companies to build quickly and cost-effectively. This will be increasingly important to the data and AI sector with the proliferation of power-hungry data centres.

Creative industries also gain visibility in the new cabinet structure. While Ian Murray has been demoted from secretary of state to minister level indicates his general favour with Starmer, his new assignment to both the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) point to sustained government focus on this fast-growing part of the economy. For Scotland in particular, this connection is significant. The DMA’s Value of Data campaign was born in Edinburgh and has shaped debate nationally, while the University of Edinburgh’s forthcoming supercomputer project offers the infrastructure to underpin world-leading innovation in data-driven industries. Murray’s position will no-doubt help ensure continuity of focus in Scotland.

These departmental mergers and shared portfolios indicate the wish for much more joined up thinking between government departments – good news on the face of it.

Finally, Liz Kendall’s move into DSIT continues the theme of placing experienced political figures into the relatively new department. Her background in welfare reform demonstrates her capacity to manage complex policy environments, and her presence at DSIT is a reassuring signal that government intends to keep the department anchored by senior figures as it matures.

Taken together, the reshuffle represents more than a change of personnel. It is a deliberate attempt by the Prime Minister to sharpen his government’s focus on growth, data, skills and delivery. For the data and marketing industry, the message is clear: government sees our sector not as peripheral, but as central to the UK’s economic future. The DMA will continue to engage closely with ministers and departments to ensure members’ priorities are reflected as this agenda develops.