Under new prime minister Andy Burnham, the UK government dismantled the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), raising concerns from startup founders and investors about momentum behind Britain's AI agenda. Ministers insist changes put technology at the heart of government.

The biggest winner is the new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), led by finance minister Jonathan Reynolds. It inherits science and innovation briefs, emerging technology sectors, the Investment Security Unit, the Sovereign AI unit, ARIA, and UKRI. AI minister Kanishka Narayan will work jointly between the OPMC and DBIST, attending cabinet — elevating AI as a cross-government priority. The AI Security Institute (AISI) reportedly moved within the cabinet.

An enlarged Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) picks up DSIT's digital portfolio: online safety, digital identity, cyber resilience, telecoms, Gov.UK, and transformation efforts. The reshuffle reflects a belief that science belongs closer to economic policy, AI at the heart of government, and digital services alongside media.

Questions remain over data protection, the National Data Library, Information Commissioner's Office oversight, and AI regulation ownership. For startups, coordination across Whitehall matters more than structure.