A team led by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is drawing up an alternative overhaul of the UK's AI strategy, built around prioritising British workers, strengthening tech sovereignty, deploying AI in public services and shifting focus away from London's dominance.
Greater Manchester · AI Policy
Burnham Drafts a Rival AI Strategy — Public Control Over the Market
The team around Mayor Andy Burnham is building an alternative technology and AI framework to the Starmer government's — centred on prioritising UK workers, reforming public services, and dispersing power to the regions.
2025
ADIO — the AI & Data Innovation Office — established in Greater Manchester
2028
Target to put the public sector at the forefront of responsible AI adoption
3
Policy pillars: UK workers, public services, regional dispersal
Two Directions, Compared
Starmer government
Stance: Market-led, competition-focused
Geography: London-centred
Method: AI sandbox — deregulated test environment
Burnham's direction
Stance: Strong public control and regulation
Geography: Regional dispersal, devolution-focused
Method: National rollout of responsible AI in public sector
The Core Argument
"Things cannot simply be left to the market."
Scaling Greater Manchester's regional responsible-AI effort to the national level — guided by adviser Josh Simons, a former tech minister with a Meta AI background and author of Algorithms for the People .
In favour
Devolution seen as a driver of regional economic revitalisation and citizen-centred service improvement.
Cautionary
Industry bodies warn AI sovereignty and tougher regulation could hinder innovation; ethical governance and cybersecurity concerns remain.
Where it stands: No specific models or timelines announced — the work remains at the policy-framework stage.
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