āTHE Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices or for outdated measures.ā So said Harold Wilson in 1963, urging Britons to embrace science and technology to ensure āthe future greatness of our countryā; his message helped the Labour party win the 1964 general election.
Half a century on, and the country once again needs reassuring of its potential for greatness. And most of the parties vying to form the next government accept that embracing science and technology could once again be key to that greatness as they consider the shape of the post-Brexit economy.
A pity, then, that the rival party leaders havenāt expressed that half as powerfully as Wilson did. Instead, they have made mostly uninspired pledges along party lines. The Conservatives, for example, say they will make the country into āthe worldās most dynamic digital economyā with investment in infrastructure, skills and start-ups. Labour says it will look into the potential for ānew jobs and new forms of work ā but also new risks of inequality and job insecurityā. Both have pledged to uphold incoming laws on data protection and increase R&D spending. Neither expresses the passion one might hope for, given the promise and challenges of technology (see ā6 technology pledges that should be in every political manifestoā).
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Except when it comes to amassing power, that is. āSome people say that it is not for government to regulate when it comes to technology and the internet. We disagree,ā says the Tory manifesto. āOur starting point is that online rules should reflect those that govern our lives offline.ā
Fair enough, but the reflection so far has been so simple-minded as to be at best counterproductive, and at worst suspect, introducing prudish censorship and mass surveillance. Action might well be needed to curb the excesses of social media and tech giants, but restrictive practices and outdated measures have no place in forging Britainās future greatness.
This article appeared in print under the headline āBack to the futureā
