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The Conservative Leadership candidates respond to techUK's letter outlining its priorities for the tech sector.

Today, the Conservative Leadership contest draws to a close and we will finally know who the next Prime Minister will be – Jeremy Hunt or Boris Johnson. As the leadership contest has rumbled on and we have been faced with the prospect of a new government, techUK has written to all of the candidates for the Conservative Leadership on their priorities and asks for the tech sector. With the tech sector growing at 2.5x the rate of the rest of the economy, how any new incoming administration plans to deal with the sector is a significant consideration.

techUK engagement

In its letter to the candidates, techUK outlined five core policy asks for the new government, as well as putting six questions to the candidates. We asked that under their premiership they would:

• ensure a Brexit that works for the UK’s world leading digital sector
• secure the UK’s position as a global hub for innovation
• champion an open, secure and responsible online world
• deliver the skills and talent the UK needs to succeed in a global digital economy
• prioritise the deployment of world leading digital infrastructure

In order to better understand the policies and thoughts of candidates, techUK also asked the following questions:

• techUK members have repeatedly voiced their concerns about the very damaging impact of no deal on our sector. What three concrete measures would your Government take in the scenario of ‘No Deal’ to limit the damage caused and ensure the growth of the UK tech sector?
• techUK members were very pleased to see the current Government commit to reaching 2.4% of GDP spend on research and development by 2027. As Prime Minister will you commit to this objective? What policies would you put in place to reach it?
• Multiple studies have shown that the use of digital technologies could boost UK productivity. What policies would you introduce to encourage businesses, particularly SMEs, to digitise? What support would you put in place to support this?
• The tech sector is optimistic about the role automation can play in creating a high-skilled, high growth economy, but are live to the challenges of job augmentation and displacement. How will you ensure that every individual has the opportunity to upskill and reskill throughout their life to meet the opportunities the Fourth Industrial Revolution has to offer?
• During the campaign, you’ve pledged to deliver full fibre a number of years earlier than the current Government’s target. How do you intend to achieve this ambitious aim?
• How would you seek to encourage and promote the development of digital technologies that can be developed and deployed to help the drive to net-zero?

Jeremy Hunt’s response

Although we have not yet received a response from Boris Johnson’s campaign, we are pleased to have heard back from Jeremy Hunt. In his response to our letter, Hunt highlighted that he has placed the tech sector at the centre of his economic pitch, with plans to cut corporation tax and increase the Annual Investment Allowance to achieve his stated belief that “the whole of the UK can be the world’s next Silicon Valley”.

Addressing the questions posed, Jeremy Hunt said he was the only candidate who has published a detailed plan for leaving the European Union and that he is the candidate most likely to get a deal while setting out how he would prepare for No Deal. In the case of No Deal, Hunt told techUK that he would seek to call an early budget and offer a commitment to support all businesses impacted by No Deal – including the digital and tech sectors.

On research and development, Hunt expressed his support for the current Government’s research and development pledge and assured that this would continue under his Government. Hunt also put on record his support for digitisation and the development of digital technologies to support the target of becoming carbon net zero by 2050.

Where education was concerned, Hunt reiterated his education priority of focusing on the 50% of people who do not go to university. He stated that this commitment stems from his belief that it is vital that everyone who leaves our education system is able to get a well-paid job and hold on to a job throughout their working lives.

Finally, speaking on his commitment to a full fibre network rollout by 2027, Hunt said that a combination of increased public spending, prioritisation of the works necessary to deploy the technology by local authorities, and a review of the business rates system, alongside other measures, can see this completed by the target date.

Moving forward

techUK thanks Jeremy for his helpful letter and is agreed that a meeting to discuss these issues in more detail would be fruitful should he be successful in the Conservative Leadership contest. We eagerly await the response from Boris Johnson’s campaign to our letter and intend to publish his response once it is available.

With the result of the leadership race to be announced imminently, techUK is committed to working with the new Prime Minister to ensure that technology remains a priority in any new Government and that the tech sector is given the support it needs in order to thrive.