Atticus Agenda (10/02/25)

Over the weekend, former Minister for Social Care Andrew Gwynne was sacked after alleged racist, sexist, and antisemitic comments surfaced from a WhatsApp group chat. As an investigation begins, news has also broken that a second Labour MP, Oliver Ryan, has been dismissed over his involvement in the same group.

The public appears to have welcomed the swift action, especially in light of the controversy surrounding the delayed sacking of ex-Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq over her ties to the Bangladeshi regime, previously led by her aunt, Sheikh Hasina. In a not so dramatic turn, Bangladeshi authorities have now pledged to seize Siddiq’s UK assets, claiming they were obtained through global money laundering.

Meanwhile, Labour launched a wave of immigration raids targeting illegal working—a clear attempt to counter the growing political threat from Reform UK, which topped the polls last week and pushed the UK into a new era of three-party politics. With one in five Conservative voters now backing Reform, the Tories will likely follow suit and flatter ex-voters from the opposition benches.

Shifting gears, it seems Labour has quietly abandoned its battle against the "tech bros". After weeks of tough talk on regulating Big Tech, the government is now reportedly open to negotiating elements of the Online Safety Act to avoid tariffs imposed by the Trump administration—where, conveniently, many of these tech giants now hold influence. It's a stark reminder of how unelected billionaires can buy their way into global politics and reshape policy agendas.

Speaking of tech, today marks the opening of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit at the Grand Palais in France, attended by the UK’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle. He emphasised the AI race must be led by "Western, liberal, democratic" countries—a clear response to concerns over China’s DeepSeek launch. A word of caution, though: tech bro influence may not be the most ideal embodiment of democratic values.

Over the coming months, expect a heavy focus on countering Reform, navigating Silicon Valley’s growing grip on policy, and racing to dominate AI. All of which will have monumental consequences for UK politics.

What’s On in Parliament

Monday 3^rd February
House of Commons

• Oral questions: Ministry of Defence

House of Lords

• Oral questions: Legislation to regulate AI in areas including intellectual property, automated decision-making and data labelling

Tuesday 4^th February
House of Commons

• Oral questions: Health and Social Care
• Westminster Hall Debate: The Cost of Energy
• Westminster Hall Debate: Impact of planned changes to employer National Insurance contributions on police forces

House of Lords

• Oral questions: Paying compensation to victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal

Wednesday 5^th February 
 House of Commons

• Oral questions: Science, Innovation and Technology
• Prime Minister’s Question Time
• Westminster Hall Debate: Fuel Poverty in England

House of Lords

• Oral questions: Completing the rollout of electronic patient record systems to NHS trusts which have not yet implemented them

Thursday 6^th February
House of Commons

• Oral questions: Department for Transport
• Westminster Hall Debate: HIV Testing Week

House of Lords

• Oral questions: Net £9.6 billion decline in investment in UK funds in the London Stock Exchange in 2024

Friday 7^th February