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Politics
Jun 05, 2026
Analyzed by GPT OSS 120B

Labour Says AI Must Work for Workers, Says Liz Kendall

AI Summary
Labour technology secretary Liz Kendall pledged that artificial intelligence will be harnessed to protect workers, unveiling new training schemes and funding adjustments ahead of London Tech Week. The plan targets disadvantaged youth, expands the TechFirst AI programme and proposes regional summer skills camps to curb rising NEET numbers.

Liz Kendall has insisted Labour will make artificial intelligence “work for workers”, promising targeted training and support for those displaced by rapid AI adoption.

Labour’s AI Strategy Unveiled Ahead of London Tech Week

Speaking from her Whitehall office before the London Tech Week (8‑12 June), Kendall outlined a distinctly Labour approach to AI adoption, contrasting it with what she described as the Conservative government’s hands‑off attitude.

Funding Allocation and Target Numbers for AI Training

  • £187 million TechFirst AI training scheme, revised to reach 1 million children.
  • At least 40 % of participants will come from disadvantaged schools.
  • New regional summer skills camps: 60 places in the north‑west and 20 in the north‑east, aimed at NEETs.
  • These pilots are intended to scale up and link participants to apprenticeship opportunities.

Potential Effects on Youth Employment and Regional Skills Gaps

The initiatives tie into Labour’s Youth Guarantee, which supports young people out of work for 18 months or more, and complement plans for an AI growth zone in the north‑east. By focusing on NEETs, the government hopes to reverse the recent surge past 1 million young people without education, employment or training, a figure highlighted in Alan Milburn’s interim report.

What This Means for Britain’s AI Landscape and Labour’s Political Position

Kendall argued that AI will create and transform jobs rather than cause mass unemployment, positioning Labour as proactive in shaping technology for the public good. The stance also signals a broader regulatory intent, including possible restrictions on under‑16 social‑media use and tighter oversight of AI chatbots, to differentiate Labour from the Conservatives and appeal to younger voters ahead of upcoming elections.