Whenever the digital economy or digital impact is discussed, two things also follow as night follows day: huge numbers are quoted (of potential jobs lost, jobs to be created, impact on the economy) and the government of the day puffs out its collective chest and spouts lists of task forces, initiatives, pots of money being spent.
It is all a bit frustrating. Because what is clear is that the world is being transformed by the digital revolution and all aspects of our lives – work, home, society, services, politics – will be touched. This is both exciting and frightening, a time of great opportunity and great risk.
At its most basic all of this will need fast, and preferably superfast, broadband; explanations based on a percentage of the country that is better than it used to be will not do. The internet needs to be viewed as a utility, readily accessible to all or we will neither maximise our economic potential or avoid increasing inequality. A range of goods and services are already cheaper or only available online and many jobs already expect digital capacity. The proportion will only increase.
This requires a big overhaul of education and training from school through adult life. The introduction of coding is great, but not without the trained teachers, and the gap will not be filled by a bit of CSR in parts of a few cities. New models of learning – online, short courses designed with employers – need to keep pace with evolving technology and technical change. Apprenticeships, high-level vocational courses and degrees need to deliver general digital capability across the piece, and also develop specialists. And all adults need ways to upskill throughout their lives.
We are rightly proud of our innovators and inventors, creative talents and scientists. We are less good at scaling up our breakthroughs and initial investments and properly harnessing the value for the British economy. We committed ourselves as a Labour government to a properly thought-through modern industrial policy rather late in the day. Since then the coalition and now Tory governments have become captivated by their own hype, obsessed by Hoxton and hard hats, and they have run away from anything that could be called a strategy or a system. Initiatives – some great – are launched but do not join up and key personnel move on.
Government has a huge responsibility to take a proper grip. It does not mean government should do everything, but it does need to own the whole digital agenda. Sometimes it means convening, pushing, investing, advocating, reallocating resources; at other times it takes knocking heads together across departmental and geographical boundaries. It means making hard choices and reforming long established organisations. The role for Labour in this is to be constructive and critical, recognising the size of the changes ahead and speaking for all those who need support to benefit rather than be left behind.
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Sally Morgan is a member of the science and technology committee, House of Lords
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JOIN US FOR …
Securing our digital future: How can Britain best prepare for the technological age? in partnership with TalkTalk
7.30pm, Monday 28 September 2015
Wagner Hall, Regency Road, Brighton, BN1 2RT
Chi Onwurah MP Shadow minister for culture and the digital economy
Ian Lucas MP Member, culture, media and sport select committee
Catherine Stihler MEP Vice-chair, committee on the internal market and consumer protection, European parliament
Sally Morgan Member, science and technology committee, House of Lords
Paul Morris Head of government affairs, Vodafone
Iain Wood Public affairs manager, TalkTalk
Chair: Theo Blackwell Member, Progress strategy board
Refreshments provided. Wheelchair access available.