Peter Kyle hits back at claims Labour is too close to Big Tech
Tech secretary Peter Kyle has hit back at criticism that the Labour government is cosying up to Big Tech, insisting he’s “doing the job” by securing the best deals for Britain.
Speaking at a Google Cloud event in London on Tuesday, Kyle addressed recent reports flagging the number of meetings he’s had with US tech giants since taking office – including Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft.
“Yes I’ve met tech companies”, he announced. “That’s how you deliver value for the public. That’s how you unlock innovation”.
The appearance came as Kyle unveiled a new agreement with Google Cloud, designed to help public sector bodies move away from ageing IT systems and train up to 100,000 workers in AI and digital skills by 2030.
But it also came amid growing concern in Westminster and the tech sector over who is being heard, and who is being left out.
161 meetings with Big Tech
It was revealed that during Labour’s first six months in office, ministers and senior civil servants met tech industry executives and lobbyists an average of six times a week – totalling 161 recorded meetings between July and December 2024.
The Guardian revealed that Kyle himself met tech firms 28 times in that period – around 70 per cent more than his predecessor, Michelle Dolan.
While many of those meetings focused on regulation and AI investment, some were flagged by critics as overstepping.
Documents revealed Kyle offered to “advocate” for Amazon in front of the UK’s competition watchdog – during a period when the regulator was actively investigating the firm. The investigation was later dropped.
Other entries show Google’s AI chief was invited to “sense check” Labour’s AI framework just weeks after the general election, prompting campaigners to raise questions about disproportionate access and influence.
Kyle has not backed away from his position. On stage today, he said: “My message to big technology companies is clear: bring us your best ideas, your best tech, and your best price – and you will get access to the biggest client in the country”.
He also updated the attendees on a new procurement platform aimed at helping UK firms tap into the £21bn the public sector spends annually on digital infrastructure.
Backlash from creatives and startups
Some industry groups have warned that Big Tech’s dominance in policy discussions could marginalise smaller UK players.
Tim Flagg, chief executive of UK artificial intelligence industry body UKAI, said: “Our voice is not being heard. The economic growth the government seeks will come from these companies – not just the US giants”.
There has also been sharp criticism from the creative sector. Ministers faced a backlash earlier this year after it emerged they had watered down proposals to restrict AI models from training on copyright-protected material, following pressure from artists including Paul McCartney and Elton John.
And in a heated Lords debate last month, Labour peer Baroness Jones pushed back on accusations that the government were only listening to US firms.
“The assertion that government only ever listens to Big Tech is unfair and unfounded”, she said. But others remained unconvinced.
Campaign group Democracy for Sale called the level of access “alarming”, while Gina Neff, professor of responsible AI, said: “It’s as if the only people who have something to say are the ones with something to sell. That’s the conflict of interest”.
Treating big tech like a nation state
Kyle has previously suggested the UK should engage with tech giants like sovereign powers.
“They are larger than some nation states”, he told the Financial Times, “We need to engage with statecraft”.
But that comment has raised eyebrows in some quarters, with critics arguing it risks crossing the line from diplomacy into deference.
For now, Kyle shows no signs of changing course.
With Labour putting tech at the heart of its growth agenda, and Starmer pushing for a tech-focused trade deal with the US – the question isn’t whether the government will continue courting Big Tech, but how it balances that with backing British innovation.