All posts tagged: Liz Kendall

How Elon Musk galvanized the UK’s online safety regime  – POLITICO

How Elon Musk galvanized the UK’s online safety regime  – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

A poster featuring Elon Musk, calling for users of his X social media platform to delete their accounts due to the AI chatbot Grok’s image-creation feature. | Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images It urged ministers to pass new legislation explicitly covering generative AI services – a recommendation the government rejected a month later, on the basis that amending the Act before it was fully in force risked ”complicat[ing] and undermin[ing]” implementation. “The vibe has very much been one of ‘trust the process,’” Owen Bennett, who led international online safety at Ofcom until December 2025 and now works as an independent digital policy consultant, said. Various parts of the OSA took time to come into force, but now key duties are in force, that “grace period” is passed, Bennett said. Pre-Grok, the U.K. government was also clearly signaling that it didn’t intend to follow Australia’s lead in banning social media for children, with a spokesperson for No.10 Downing Street saying in December there were no plans to implement a ban and “it’s important we protect children …

Keir Starmer’s leadership vacuum threatens to swallow him up – POLITICO

Keir Starmer’s leadership vacuum threatens to swallow him up – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Many of those who spoke to POLITICO described a lack of “curiosity” in the PM. “He just doesn’t ask questions, on policy, politics or apparently propriety either,” another former official said. Some ministers agree.  A current government official described Starmer’s approach to interrogating policies and other decisions as “hear no evil, see no evil.” The official added: “You can’t claim to be this meticulous lawyer, this micro-manager, this mandarin and then not care for stuff like this.” Boris Johnson vibes   One bizarre example of his passivity is that Starmer apparently does not even express a strong preference about how he wants to spend his own time. “He is so hands-off about his diary,” another former No. 10 official said. Referring to Jill Cuthbertson, a top aide who used to run Starmer’s diary, this person said: “It’s kind of like, ‘what has Jill put in my diary today,’ and then if it was something he didn’t enjoy doing, someone else would bear the brunt of it, but he’d never be involved in the front end of …

Minister Mocked For Claiming Starmer Is ‘Man Of Integrity’

Minister Mocked For Claiming Starmer Is ‘Man Of Integrity’

Published by Sam Flores

A cabinet minister has attracted online backlash after claiming Keir Starmer is a “man of honesty and integrity” amid the fallout of Peter Mandelson. The prime minister’s judgement – and political future – is under question after it emerged this week that his pick to be the UK’s ambassador to the US failed security vetting, but still got the top job anyway. Starmer insists that the Foreign Office kept him in the dark about the security risks around Mandelson. Technology secretary Liz Kendall furiously defended the prime minister on Sky News on Sunday, telling presenter Trevor Phillips she had “100%” confidence in the prime minister, despite this scandal. “He is a man of guts and strength and courage,” she said. “He does take responsibility. “He is a man, when big decisions are facing the country, is making the right calls, on getting a grip of our public finances, on investing in our defence and NHS, of not getting involved in the war with no clear objective and no clear exit plan, who has focused on …

Margaret Hodge in the running to lead Ofcom – POLITICO

Margaret Hodge in the running to lead Ofcom – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The previous Conservative government appointed Michael Grade, a Tory peer, as chair in 2022. His term ends on April 26, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which is leading the recruitment process, hopes to announce his replacement before then. The interview panel, which is made up of civil servants and independent members, will now hand Technology Secretary Liz Kendall a shortlist of approved candidates. Former Conservative Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright is also in the running, according to the same two people quoted above. Wright, one of the architects of the Online Safety Act (OSA), has been critical of Ofcom’s implementation of the flagship law. The Telegraph newspaper has reported Channel 4’s former Chairman Ian Cheshire is also on the shortlist.  Kendall has also been critical of Ofcom for not implementing parts of the OSA quickly enough. She warned last November that it risks losing public trust.  Ofcom, which also regulates TV and radio, is about to embark on a major review of the telecoms sector, which is being upended by developments in artificial …

Minister Distances Herself From Labour Deputy Leader’s Claim Reform Is A ‘Cancer’

Minister Distances Herself From Labour Deputy Leader’s Claim Reform Is A ‘Cancer’

Published by Sam Flores

Liz Kendall has refused to repeat Lucy Powell’s claim that Reform UK is a “cancer”. The deputy Labour leader said on Tuesday that the party is working to “defeat the cancer and poison of Reform” in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. But science, innovation and technology secretary Kendall dodged the description the following morning. “I think some of the things they [Reform] do are appalling,” she told Times Radio. “The disgusting images put out by Grok – Reform wants to scrap the Online Safety Act, removing the very thing that is stopping sexualised images of women and children.” She added: “I think that is poisonous and Lucy Powell is right to call them out.” “Is Reform a cancer though? That’s different from being poison,” presenter Kate McCann asked.” “That is Lucy’s word. Saying that they are dangerous, I absolutely agree,” Kendall said. Powell made the divisive comments while discussing Labour’s decision to block Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from running as the party’s candidate in the by-election. She told ITV Politics on Tuesday: “We …

7 times Keir Starmer’s MPs forced him to U-turn … so far – POLITICO

7 times Keir Starmer’s MPs forced him to U-turn … so far – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Time to U-turn: 43 days (Nov. 26, 2025 — Jan. 8, 2026). Farmers’ inheritance tax  Part of Labour’s electoral success came from winning dozens of rural constituencies. But Britain’s farmers soon fell out of love with the government.  Reeves’ first budget slapped inheritance tax on farming estates worth more than £1 million from April 2026. Farmers drive tractors near Westminster ahead of a protest against inheritance tax rules on Nov. 19, 2024. | Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images Aimed at closing loopholes wealthy individuals use to avoid coughing up to the exchequer, the decision generated uproar from opposition parties (calling the measure the “family farm tax”) and farmers themselves, who drove tractors around Westminster playing “Baby Shark.”  Campaigners including TV presenter and newfound farmer Jeremy Clarkson joined the fight by highlighting that many farmers are asset rich but cash poor — so can’t fund increased inheritance taxes without flogging off their estates altogether. A mounting rebellion by rural Labour MPs (including Cumbria’s Markus Campbell-Savours, who lost the whip for voting against the budget resolution on …