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AI could predict patients’ future health conditions, study finds | Science & Tech News

Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to predict the type of health conditions a patient is likely to develop in the future, a study has found.

The technology could be used to help doctors when it comes to monitoring patients or making decisions around diagnosis, researchers said.

The AI tool, known as Foresight, belongs to the same family of AI models as ChatGPT but has been trained using information from NHS electronic records.

It was developed by researchers from King’s College London (KCL), University College London (UCL), King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

The researchers trained three different models of Foresight using data from more than 811,000 patients from two NHS trusts in London and a publicly available dataset in the US.

It was given 10 possible disorders a patient may experience next based on their records.

When using data from NHS hospitals, Foresight was able to correctly identify the condition 68% and 76% of the time. It was accurate 88% of the time when using US data.

More on Artificial Intelligence

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Zeljko Kraljevic, research fellow in health informatics, biostatistics and health informatics at KCL and the first author of the study – published in The Lancet Digital Health – said the findings show the tool “can achieve high levels of precision in predicting health trajectories of patients, demonstrating it could be a valuable tool to aid decision-making and inform clinical research”.

Senior author Richard Dobson, a professor of medical informatics at KCL and UCL and theme lead for informatics at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), said: “It is an exciting time for AI in healthcare, and to develop effective tools we must ensure that we use appropriate data to train our models and work towards a shared purpose of supporting healthcare systems to support patients.”

The research team is now seeking more hospitals to be involved in developing Foresight 2, which Prof Dobson said will be “a more accurate language model”.

Electric van production to secure future of Vauxhall’s Luton plant | Business News

Vauxhall’s parent company has secured the future for its Luton plant but demanded more government aid to help drive the transition to electric vehicles.

Stellantis confirmed on Thursday the Bedfordshire site will produce “limited” volumes of electric vans for five of its group brands from 2025.

They would include the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Peugeot E-Expert and Fiat Professional E-Scudo in both right and left-hand drive versions, it said.

The company added Luton, which has produced vans for 92 years, would also continue to manufacture some combustion engine-powered models.

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Business minister Nusrat Ghani welcomed the investment and responded: “This is a further vote of confidence in the UK economy and exciting news that shows our plan for the auto industry is working.”

The announcement by Stellantis follows Nissan‘s confirmation in November last year that it would invest £1.2bn to build two electric car models at its Sunderland plant.

Last summer, Jaguar Land Rover‘s owner revealed plans for a £4bn electric vehicle battery plant in Somerset.

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‘We should be leading’ on EV transition – SMMT

Stellantis, for its part, made its other UK factory at Ellesmere Port the first in the country to go fully electric last year. The site currently produces small vans.

It plans that all the group’s vehicles will be electric-only from 2028.

UK group managing director, Maria Grazia Davino, said: “Whilst this decision demonstrates Stellantis’s confidence in the plant, this… requires the UK government to stimulate more demand in the electric vehicle market and support manufacturers that invest in the UK for a sustainable transition.”

The remarks will be seen as a rebuke over the decision by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last September to delay the ban on the sale of new vehicles powered by petrol and diesel beyond 2030.

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Motorists on petrol vehicle ban delay

The prime minister said he wanted to shield the public from “unacceptable costs” despite acknowledging the urgency around the need for the shift to help tackle the climate crisis emergency.

Electric vehicle sales have been stalling across Europe due to cost of living pressures.

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The auto industry has demanded more aid to support the transition including government subsidies to aid consumer and business purchases and investment in the charging network.

Stellantis did not put a cost on the size of its investment.

Mark Noble, the Luton plant’s director, said of the decision: “Following the transformation of our Ellesmere Port facility to produce all-electric compact vans, I’m pleased to announce that we will commence limited production of our medium electric van in Luton from next year, when the first customer vehicles will roll off the production line.”

Cows or solar? The lucrative future for farmland | Climate News

Solar farms in the UK only account for 0.1% of land – that’s less than that of golf courses. But, as the government aims to meet its clean energy targets, more agricultural land is being lost to solar panels.

On this episode of ClimateCast, Tom Heap visits farmer Andrew Dakin, whose family have farmed the same land for 94 years, but now, his landlord is selling up to make room for a solar farm.

Tom speaks to Andrew about how not just his job but his livelihood is at risk – and Georgia, who grew up nearby and has launched a community campaign to help save the farm.

Plus, Chris Hewitt – Solar Energy UK’s chief executive – explains how solar farms are a necessary part of the energy transition and how agriculture will be at risk of climate change without urgent action, including more solar energy.

Click to subscribe to ClimateCast with Tom Heap wherever you get your podcasts

Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Gemma Watson

Assistant Producer: Iona Brunker

Editor: Paul Stanworth

Is conscription coming back? How it’s been used in previous wars – and what a UK ‘citizen army’ would involve in future | UK News

Conscription hasn’t been used in the UK for more than 60 years. 

But comments from top military officials about what could happen if NATO goes to war with Russia have made the possibility of being called up to fight feel closer than it has in generations.

General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, said such a conflict would need to be a “whole-of-nation undertaking”, which reignited a debate about defence cuts and volunteering to fight.

Here Sky News looks at how the UK has used conscription before, and what military experts and the government say about bringing it back.

What is conscription and when did the UK last have it?

Conscription legally requires certain groups to join the armed forces.

It was introduced in January 1916, 18 months into the First World War, when a law required all single men aged 18 to 41 to join up.

There were exceptions for certain workers and people considered medically unfit, and a few months later married men were also called up.

The law wasn’t popular; more than 200,000 protested against it. About 2.5 million men joined through conscription, which lasted until 1920. Although the main conflict with Germany ended in 1918, conscription was extended to “enable the army to deal with continuing trouble spots in the Empire and parts of Europe”, according to the UK parliament’s website.

Conscription returned in the Second World War, adding about 1.5 million people to the army, and was extended to women for the first time.

It started with “limited” conscription in May 1939 – as fears of another war in Europe grew – requiring single men aged 20 to 22 to sign up for military training. In September of the same year, when Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, the law was toughened and widened to men aged between 18 and 41.

Conscription applied to women – those who were unmarried and childless widows between the ages of 20 and 30 – from December 1941. At the same time, the age ranges for men were changed – requiring military service up until the age of 51 and some form of service until 60. This was driven by a shortage of men for roles in the police and other services during the war.

Is conscription likely to make a comeback?

Military experts are split on whether conscription is a realistic prospect in 21st-century Britain.

Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke told the Sky News Daily podcast the UK will probably have to go back to having a “citizen army” – but stressed this is “not the same as conscription”.

“It will need to be a citizen army, but a citizen volunteer army of the sort that we’ve had in the past, and we will probably have to have once again in the future,” he said.

The UK army has “almost never” had conscription during its more than 360-year history, he said, adding it was “completely antithetical to the British thinking on the military”.

But former UK defence secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News it was time to “think the unthinkable” and consider conscription.

Not that he was a fan of the idea: “Conscription to most professional soldiers, and I count myself as one, is absolute anathema,” he said.

“Britain’s armed forces have traditionally and culturally relied on long service, volunteer, highly professional soldiers with huge experience – and that is really the way we would all want it to go on.”

But given the current global situation and defence funding cuts since the end of the Cold War, he said it was time to “get over many of the cultural hang-ups and assumptions” and “look carefully” at conscription.

“Sooner or later, if the military can’t improve the way they recruit, then, if it comes to conflict, obviously they will have to look at other methods,” he added.

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‘Right time’ to think about conscription

What has the government said about conscription?

Any talk of the UK introducing conscription to the army if NATO goes to war with Russia is “nonsense”, the armed forces minister, James Heappey, has said.

Mr Heappey said the UK “long had plans” readied for “mobilising volunteers” in the event that Britain enters a new conflict but stressed that “nobody is thinking” about bringing back conscription.

Number 10 has also ruled out any suggestion conscription was under consideration, saying there were “no plans” to change the British military’s “proud tradition of being a voluntary force”.

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British citizens should be ‘trained and equipped’ to fight
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‘There’s a 1939 feel to the world at the moment’

What is a citizen army?

A citizen army is made up of volunteers from the public, rather than career soldiers.

At the beginning of the First World War, 750,000 men volunteered to join the British Army in just eight weeks.

The volunteers had to undergo a series of medical and fitness tests before being accepted as a soldier.

Admiral Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, told Sky News this week that the UK would have to “mobilise” in the event of a war between NATO and Russia, hinting citizen volunteers would likely be part of that.

Subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

What is the difference between conscription and national service?

National service was the standard peacetime form of conscription in the UK, introduced after the Second World War.

It came into force in January 1949 and required all men aged 17 to 21 to serve in one of the armed forces for an 18-month period.

It was discontinued in 1960, with the last servicemen discharged in 1963.

The UK’s political parties have debated whether or not to reintroduce some form of the service at a number of elections since the 1960s.

Often, calls to bring it back now focus on volunteering or public service for young adults, separate from the military.

Last year a thinktank proposed a “Great British National Service” volunteering scheme that won the support of the leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, and former Tory minister Rory Stewart.

It proposed a “civic” national service scheme for 16-year-olds that would see them complete a certain number of volunteering hours, although it would not be mandatory.

What happens if you refuse conscription?

People who refuse conscription on moral grounds are referred to as conscientious objectors. They may object to fighting for political, religious or other reasons.

In the First and Second World Wars, conscientious objectors had to appear before a tribunal to argue their case.

If it was accepted, they may have been given a non-fighting role. If it was dismissed, they had to join up or risk being fined or jailed.

Adam Johnson death: ‘Risk of future deaths’ unless ice hockey neck guards become mandatory, says coroner | UK News

The coroner investigating the death of Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson has said neck guards should be mandatory.

Sheffield’s senior coroner Tanyka Rawden opened the inquest into the death of Mr Johnson on Friday after he was hit in the neck by the skate of a member of the opposing Sheffield Steelers team at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

Her report, addressed to Ice Hockey UK and the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), says: “During the course of the investigation my inquiries revealed matters giving rise to concern.

“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”

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Vigil held for hockey star Adam Johnson

Ms Rawden outlined the “matters of concern” as: “The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) recommends that neck guards or protectors are worn, but there is no requirement for ice hockey players over the age of 18 to wear equipment designed to protect the neck.

“In due course the inquest will consider whether the use of a neck guard or protector could have prevented Mr Johnson’s death.

“At this stage in my investigation however, I am sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn.”

The death of the 29-year-old American shocked the hockey world, especially because the incident happened in front of 8,000 fans, including many children.

According to the Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) Report: “During the game Mr Johnson sustained an incised wound to the neck caused by the skate of another player.

“He was taken by ambulance to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where he died as a result of his injury.”

The report requires the governing body to respond within 56 days and adds: “Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action.

“Otherwise, you must explain why no action is proposed.”

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Ice hockey player dies during game

Elite Ice Hockey League will not make neck guards mandatory

It is highly unusual for a coroner to issue a PFD report so early in an inquest. They are usually produced after a full inquest is concluded and Ms Rawden made it clear on Friday the hearing will not take place for many months.

South Yorkshire Police are also continuing to investigate the incident.

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‘He was such a kind soul’

The Elite Ice Hockey League has said it will not make the use of neck guards mandatory but will “strongly encourage” players and officials to wear them following the tragedy.

Last week, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) said neck guards will become mandatory from 2024, but the Elite League is not under its control.

Ice hockey fans paid tribute to Mr Johnson at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, with many supporters in tears as they signed books of condolence.

The future of shoes – will it include foot scans, a gaming engine, and ‘Tesla-like’ factories? | Science & Tech News

Trainers are big business.

Helped by celebrity collaborations, social media, and one-of-a-kind special editions that get fans queuing up outside stores on launch day, they have perhaps never been as desirable a fashion item as they are today.

I treat myself to the odd fresh pair, usually bought online with a cursory glance at the size. I just assume they will fit and if they don’t, well, I can break them in – cue hobbling around with painful blisters for several weeks.

But that could all soon be a distant, painful memory. Asher Clark, scion of the Clarks shoe dynasty, has a grand plan for the “future of footwear” and in order to investigate it, I had to get my feet physically measured.

Forget the tape measure and those weird shoe shop devices, Clark instead had me step on what looked like a set of futuristic scales in the back of his Vivobarefoot store in central London, equipped with a monitor that displayed the soles of my feet in real time.

From where I was placing all my weight (too much on the heels, not enough on the toes), to measurements for everything from “instep girth” to “arch height”, it was a far cry from “looks like a seven-and-a-half to me”.

Tom's foot scan
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I put too much weight on my heels, it seems

Not long after, this scales-like machine had transformed a scan of my feet into a 3D model and sent it to my phone, ready to form the basis of a bespoke pair of shoes.

This, says Clark, is how we’ll all want to get our new trainers one day.

“Ten thousand years ago, humans made shoes out of local materials,” he says.

“Now, we have no choice but to do the same thing.”

Asher and brother Galahad are the seventh generation of the Clark family and, 187 years on from the dawn of a footwear dynasty, they launched Vivobarefoot in 2012 with the goal of creating shoes that make you feel as close to being bare-foot as possible.

They’re almost plimsoll-like when it comes to weight and thinness. It takes time to get used to them if you’re used to pounding the pavement in normal trainers. But the Clarks are unapologetic in their belief that they are better for our feet, keeping them closer to the ground in a wider, more natural, position.

The next step is to make them better for the planet – and that’s where my video game-looking feet come in.

Tom's feet in 3D
Image:
Look mum, my feet are in the metaverse!

Made to order

Clark says: “We are effectively using modern technology to make the shoes we did millennia ago.

“All feet are different, so we can only do so well in terms of putting the perfect shoe on your feet.

“The shoe industry has a long, human-intensive chain of development. It takes a long time, it’s inefficient and slow because you’re ordering for stock. You’re making a huge bet as a business – ‘is this the right shoe, will people want it’ – well before you have them in stores.

“We’re trying to move towards an efficient, digital model that is made person by person, locally.”

The Vivobiome shoes have the same plimsoll-like weight and feel as as the company's standard sneakers
Image:
The Vivobiome shoes have the same plimsoll-like weight and feel as as the company’s standard sneakers

The first step for a “Vivobiome” customer would be to scan their feet at home with a smartphone app. It would use gaming engine Unreal to create their new shoes in 3D, let them customise them and even virtually try them on.

If they choose to order, the shoes would be made using 3D printing with local, sustainable materials. Clark says it would be less than a month from scanning your feet to wearing the perfectly sized shoes.

It’s an ambitious idea, first pitched to attendees at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, and one that seeks to disrupt an industry that shows no sign of slowing down.

The company first showed off the concept at COP26 in 2021
Image:
The company first showed off the concept at COP26 in 2021

Winning over the ‘sneakerheads’

Encompassing mega brands like Nike, Adidas, Converse, and Vans, the global trainer market was worth more than $70bn (£54bn) last year and is projected to exceed $100bn (£78bn) by 2026.

Given the seemingly unstoppable demand, whether it be to replace your old All Stars or grab those “limited edition” Stranger Things Vans, it should come as no surprise that an astonishing 20 billion pairs of shoes are made every year – many of them trainers.

And perhaps even more astonishingly, 90% of them are destined to end up in landfill.

Clark is unapologetic in his assessment that the planet simply can’t take any more of it – and his firm’s ambitious Vivobiome initiative should be up and running in full by the middle of next year.

Powering it will be “Tesla-like speed factories”, where – like Elon Musk‘s electric car firm – the entire shoe-making process goes under one roof. The first one will be in Ireland in 2024, with more to follow in Germany and the US.

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Tesla gigafactory in Austin, Texas, U.S., February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo
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Tesla’s factories have been cited as a point of inspiration for Vivobarefoot’s proposed shoe plants

The price catch

Vivobarefoot’s goal of helping the planet will only go far if the shoes are affordable – and you could certainly pick up a few pairs of sneakers for the price of what the company thinks it will charge for theirs.

“It’s expensive to do things differently,” admits Clark, who’s targeting a £260 launch price.

In the meantime, the company’s launched a “pioneer programme” to put the initiative through its paces. People who successfully apply will get three pairs and will be asked to give feedback.

Foot scans will begin next month, with the pairs rolled out between August and February.

Word of mouth will likely be crucial to whether Vivobiome makes a fast start come launch, as there’s no sign of a Michael Jordan waiting in the wings to power the brand to glory by himself.

“A company like Nike has built an emotional legacy with amazing athletes and cool products,” says Clark.

“But I challenge that’s the past. This is looking to the next phase.”

You can’t doubt the ambition – but for now, Vivobiome’s success is up in the Air.

King to give up property in Wales amid questions about future of his numerous homes | UK News

The King is giving up his home on the edge of the Brecon Beacons.

He bought Llwynywermod, a farmhouse near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, for £1.2m in 2007 via the Duchy of Cornwall.

When he was Prince of Wales, he used it as a base for his regular visits to the nation – but now the title has been passed to his son Prince William, he will no longer spend much time there.

Read more: Why people want William’s inherited title to end

A view of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall's private residence inside their property in Llwynywermod, near Llandovery, taken from the courtyard
A view of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall's private residence inside their property in Llwynywermod, near Llandovery, taken from the courtyard.

The Telegraph quoted royal sources as saying the King remained “passionate” about Wales, but would give up the property because it was “unlikely” he would be able to use it in the same way he had previously.

The old house and the disintegrating concrete and corrugated iron farm buildings were restored by Welsh craftsmen using traditional methods and local materials.

Charles planted climbers including Albertine roses, jasmine and honeysuckle up the walls, and six of the English field maples which formed the avenue of trees at William and Kate’s 2011 wedding were rehomed at the Welsh retreat.

Future of King’s properties uncertain

The Telegraph reported the King and his aides have been looking at the future of his numerous properties.

These include Highgrove, Birkhall, Clarence House, Sandringham and Balmoral, plus official residences such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

It is possible the public may be given more access to some of the properties, so the buildings can pay their way.

Llwynywermod sits on a 192-acre estate and the King has been paying rent on it since the Duchy of Cornwall was passed to Prince William, along with its £23m-a-year income.

The lease expires this summer, but the King reportedly told the Duchy earlier this year he would be giving it up.

A spokesman for the Prince of Wales told The Telegraph he has no plans to establish a home in Wales, preferring to stay in hotels to help the local economy.

Only a third of hospitality firms optimistic about their future – as average energy prices rise by 81% | UK News

Only a third of UK hospitality businesses are optimistic about their future due to high energy prices and rising food costs, industry bosses have warned.

Pub, bars and restaurants say their energy prices have surged an average of 81% over the past year, on top of rising food and wage bills.

Wholesale gas prices, which rocketed following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, have dipped to their lowest levels since the conflict started.

But with retail prices still falling back into line – and with some pubs and restaurants locked into long-term fixed rate contracts – hospitality bosses say just 29% of businesses say they feel optimistic about the next 12 months.

They say that pubs, bars and restaurants have been at “breaking point for a year now” and warn venues will shut for good if cost pressures do not ease soon.

Four of the UK’s largest hospitality industry groups – the British Institute of Innkeeping, UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association and Hospitality Ulster – have issued a plea to the government for more support.

Food being served at The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire that has become the first British pub to receive two Michelin stars.
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File pic

In a statement, they say: “The Energy Bill Relief Scheme has provided a short respite but with that falling away last month businesses are back to paying high costs, with no end in sight for the thousands locked into contracts who will be obligated to pay extortionate rates well into next year.

“The government must recognise this crisis isn’t just crippling businesses now.

“Left unresolved it will have a lasting wider impact long into the future, impacting local employment, supply chains and removing essential community hubs from villages, towns and cities across the whole of the UK.”

It comes as data collected by CGA by NielsenIQ on behalf of the groups reveals that 86% of hospitality firms are worried about energy costs going forward.

Last month, analysis of official Government data by the commercial real estate specialist Altus Group found more than 150 pubs have disappeared for good from English and Welsh communities over the first three months of 2023.

This represents a 60 per cent jump on levels from last year.

“Put simply, this data is extremely worrying for thousands of otherwise viable hospitality businesses,” the groups say.

Read more:
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Pubs and restaurants cut menu items as inflation pressures mount

The government announced its Energy Bill Relief Scheme – which provides a discount on gas prices for businesses – in October last year.

The scheme, which the government says saved businesses a total of £6.9bn on energy costs, was due to expire in March.

However, it was renewed as the Energy Bill Discount Scheme in January to help businesses, including those signed up to expensive longer-term deals.

The new scheme – which offers a lower level of support than the previous one – is due to run until March 2024.

A government spokesperson said: “Global energy prices have fallen significantly and are now at their lowest level since before Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“The new level of government support reflects this welcome fall in prices, but we will continue to stand by businesses.

“We are also assisting the hospitality sector with support such as freezing of alcohol duty, cutting energy bills, a £13.6billion business rates relief package and a £2.4billion fuel duty cut.”

Keir Starmer promises to ‘give Britain its future back’ as he sets out five missions for government | Politics News

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to “give Britain its future back” with a “mission-driven government” as he set out his priorities if he wins power at the next election.

The Labour leader set out five goals which will be at the core of his manifesto.

They are:

  • Secure the highest sustained growth in the G7
  • Build an NHS fit for the future
  • Make Britain’s streets safe
  • Break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage
  • Make Britain a clean energy superpower

In a keynote speech in Manchester, Sir Keir said: “These missions will form the backbone of the Labour manifesto. The pillars of the next Labour government.

“They will be measurable, so we can track progress and be held to account. Long-term so we can look beyond the day-to-day. Informed by experts and the public, so we can build a coalition for change. And each will support our drive for growth. Each will help us get our future back.”

Sir Keir said he is already speaking to experts and business leaders about how he can achieve his goals.

Politics live: Labour leader unveils ‘five missions’

On the economy, he said growth will be “powered by good jobs and stronger productivity in every part of the country”.

On making the UK a clean energy super power, he said the first steps will be to insulate 19 million homes, train people in green jobs and create Great British Energy – a new, publicly owned company that will generate renewable sources.

Sir Keir said he is “not concerned about whether investment or expertise comes from the public or private sector – I just want to get the job done”.

This stands in contrast to his position in 2019, when the Labour party pledged to nationalise energy, rail, mail and water.

Sir Keir has since promised to take a “pragmatic” approach to nationalisation and told the audience in Manchester “if the aspiration is merely to replace the public sector while extracting a rent to privatise the profits, that takes us nowhere”.

Asked by Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby how he can be trusted when he has junked many of the policies he won the Labour leadership on, Sir Keir insisted his missions had been “hard thought through” and “reflect the challenges the country faces”.

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Sky News’ Beth Rigby has asked Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer if his lack of detailed policy proposals will turn off voters.

Answering further questions from media, he denied there was no money to fund his plan, saying all his missions will be “fully costed”.

But he added: “Reform is as important as the money we put in.”

‘Sticking plaster politics’

Sir Keir is expected to set out further detail on his policies in the coming weeks.

It comes as the party continues to ride-high in UK nationwide polls, while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s approval rating slumps.

During his speech, the Labour leader repeatedly hit out at the Conservatives for “13 years of sticking plaster politics” which he blamed for many of the country’s problems.

Read More:
Few ever believed Sir Keir Starmer could become PM – an extraordinary set of events changed all of that

Listing some of those he said: “The only country in the G7 still poorer than it was before the pandemic. The worst decade for growth in two centuries. Seven million are on waiting lists and rising. You don’t see this everywhere.”

He said his missions are “a case for change, a new government and a new way of governing”.

He added: “Britain needs both and with Labour Britain will get both. That’s what today is about, a Britain that gets its future back.”

Is the UK equipped for a smarter, more streamlined, silicon-clad future? | Science & Tech News

Tony Blair and William Hague are both in their 60s. Perhaps not the first people you’d expect to be calling for the UK to get with the times and “discover its place in this new world”.

Their report – which calls for the government to roll out a “digital ID” for everyone in the country – isn’t the first to highlight the opportunities the UK could enjoy as a global leader in research and development which is already home to some of the world’s best universities and high-tech companies.

What’s significant about their call for action, is that it comes from two former political foes. They warn their successors in government and opposition that unless they unite with a shared drive to embrace science and technology, they risk being stuck in the past.

“We are in danger of conducting a 20th-century fight at the margins of tax and spending policy when the issue is how we harness this new revolution to reimagine the state of public services.”

Pic:AP
Image:
(L-R) Tony Blair and William Hague. Pic: AP

Their report highlights the opportunities to be gained from re-organising government to drive science and technology throughout political and public life: Bringing AI technology into public services from digital IDs to recognising NHS data as a “competitive asset”; overhaul planning to prioritise growth in the research and development sector; and fast tracking the latest technology into the education system.

Much of the substance of the report, from planning reform to embracing AI, could have been lifted straight out of the current chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s “plan for growth” outlined in a speech in January.

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In fact, the importance of the high tech, low carbon economy has been central to pretty much every chancellor and shadow-chancellor’s thinking in recent times.

But none of them has shown much evidence of delivering it.

A focus on technology uncertain due to Brexit and Northern Ireland

The report’s timing is apt. One of the greatest current challenges to the UK R&D sector is uncertainty around government support post-Brexit.

Whether we remain allied with the EU’s science funding arrangements or go it alone has been in limbo with little hope of resolution until negotiations around Northern Ireland are settled.

It’s just emerged £1.6bn in science funding has been returned to the Treasury from the new Department for Science Innovation and Technology because of continued uncertainty about European involvement.

£1.6bn that now won’t be spent on UK research. Ironic given the Blair/Hague report calls for an end to Treasury “micro-management” of R&D funding.

And there’s little evidence of political cooperation around Europe, let alone our technological future outside of it.

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Given the speed at which many technologies advance, AI and genomics almost unbelievably so, its understandable that policy lags behind.

But does the current climate leave any of our politicians the time and energy to lead Britain into a smarter, more streamlined, silicon-clad future?