Government Digital Service move 'grinds gears' in UK's e-government
As team responsible for tech strategy shunted to third department in three years, experts fear exodus of talent
The UK government’s relocation of the Government Digital Service (GDS) to its third department in three years has raised concerns about talent loss and diminished visibility, according to former staff and officials. Former Downing Street director Laura Gilbert testified to the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee that the move, orchestrated by incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s team, plunged GDS into turmoil.
Gilbert expressed surprise at the decision, questioning whether it was a calculated move or simply incidental. The service, founded in 2011, had previously housed within the Cabinet Office and later the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In a recent reorganization, GDS joined the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO).
Now, it resides within the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), overseen by Stephanie Peacock. Gilbert noted that GDS was initially "significantly disempowered" under DSIT, struggling with unclear decision-making and neglect of technological expertise. She warned that such relocations demoralize technology teams and increase the risk of personnel departures.
The GDS has been tasked with centralized controls on major digital and IT projects, while AI implementation now falls under the purview of Minister Kanishka Narayan, who holds a Cabinet-attending role in both the Cabinet Office and the new BIST department.
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