Jonathan Reynolds: we will be relentlessly pro-technology

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology Jonathan Reynolds told the Labour conference that he was “genuinely delighted” to have science and innovation added to his department brief in the recent machinery of government changes.

Speaking to news organisation Politico in a fringe event, he said that reuniting science and business would “fit really nicely together in terms of consistency of policy under one roof.”

Promising to be “relentlessly pro-technology”, he cited the examples of the UK Sovereign AI Fund and the British Business Bank as areas with a “really good story” to tell:

“Technological innovation often actually has difficult politics. It can scare people – change, disruption… but I think history tells us you embrace change and work to mitigate the impacts of that. But there’s no way to avoid that process of change.”

His comments came in response to an audience question on the use of animals in research – he said the issue was not one he had “particular expertise” on, but suggested he would engage further. He called Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitment to phase out animal testing a great example of engaging the public.

The interview with Politico’s UK political editor Dan Bloom was dominated by discussions of the UK response to the EU’s Made in Europe rules, part of the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act. Various industrial sectors in the UK have expressed concerns that they could be significantly impacted by the European Commission’s plans to introduce European origin requirements in sectors such as steel, automotive and net zero. Reynolds argued that it was in “everybody’s interests” that the UK was included.