UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has initiated a significant reshuffle, dismissing science and tech minister Liz Kendall and business minister Peter Kyle. Both ministers were appointed in September of the previous year, and their successors have not yet been named. However, Jonathan Reynolds is rumored to be returning to the role of business secretary.

Speculation had been rife over the weekend concerning Burnham's potential consolidation of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), previously led by Kendall, into a broader business-oriented department. DSIT, established in 2023 under former prime minister Rishi Sunak, was designed to centralize oversight for science, AI, digital regulation, and innovation. It has since been instrumental in driving key initiatives like the UK's AI Opportunities Action Plan and investments in sovereign AI compute.

The potential dissolution of DSIT has drawn criticism from the tech community, including startup founders, investors, and policy experts. They argue that further governmental reorganizations would divert crucial attention and resources away from addressing the UK's AI and digital policy objectives.