What did we learn from the Tory Party Conference?

In a couple of words; not a lot.

Considering there was the big claim of £5 billion investment into rural broadband, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised a rapid acceleration of fibre investment and 5G is on everyone’s lips, not a huge amount of homage was paid to the telecoms and technology industry.

Perhaps we should not be surprised. Brexit is dominating the headlines and politicians seem more interesting in insulting those on the other side of the Commons than addressing actual policies. There were of course passing references to things that matter, but this is the spearhead of the political circus.

Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Leadsom might not hit the headlines for telecoms and technology news that often, but her department is one which we should pay considerable attention to. In a brief address, the message was simple; success in-hand with the Government not in-spite of it. How this works out remains to be seen, there are plenty of sceptics out there.

“We’re standing on the cusp of a new industrial revolution, and for the first time since the first industrial revolution, the UK is positioned to lead in extraordinary new ways,” said Leadsom.

“Those memories shaped my politics, but it was Margaret Thatcher’s vision of a shareholding democracy and her introduction of the right to buy that shaped my personal ambition -and that is to help everybody to build a secure life for themselves and their families.

“So, I want to see a better environment for business, less red tape and lower taxes to incentivise them.”

This is a claim many business leaders will want to see. Lower taxes and less regulation to worry about. What is worth noting, this is a very generalist claim. The telecoms and technology segments are overdue a regulatory overhaul and this will not change because a politician is chasing headlines with a soundbite.

One area which is worth paying attention to is the idea of automation. This segment of the speech was directed more towards autonomous vehicles and drones as opposed to a workforce overhaul, though it could indicate there are some new policies in the pipeline. This Government has been very keen on gaining a leadership position in the growing world of autonomous driving and drone management already, and it would not surprise us to see another incremental step forward soon enough.

Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer

This is the speech many in the telecommunications and technology world would have been paying attention to, and it might well have fallen short of expectations.

Over the weekend, it was reported Javid was going to announce new investment to encourage investment in the UK’s hardest to reach areas. $5 billion to ensure the UK does not create another digital divide which the Government has been working to correct ever since. The investment was confirmed, though little else was offered to add colour to the new policy.

The investment will be used to ensure fibre deployments reach the most difficult 20% of households and businesses throughout the UK. But like his colleagues, Javid elected to concentrate the majority of his speech on a bit of Corbyn-bashing.

One area which could be worth keeping an eye on is the promise to continue the devolution of power throughout England. Although this will please some in the regions, those who seek regulatory consistency will perhaps exhale deeply.

There will of course be regional variances in how regulations are designed and implementing, Cowbridge is very different to London after all, however the risk of devolution is a mix-match of red-tape. Negotiations with hundreds of councils throughout the UK, all of which have their own demands and requirements. It is the stuff of nightmares for a cash-intensive industry.

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Amazingly, the person with the most relevance had the least to say.

In short, Morgan congratulated the Conservative party for what it had achieved thus-far, quoted figures, promised the UK is the best place in Europe for tech and talked-dirty about the Labour Party leadership.

Perhaps the most meaningless speech of the day.

Key take-aways from today at the Conference

It is difficult to cut through the noise, but we will do our best. A lot of today was hyping the Conservative Party, undermining the Labour Party and chasing headlines.

However, the idea of re-nationalism was consistently attacked. Lesser regulations have been championed. While technology and telecoms will form the central pillars of the UK economy moving forward.

There are a couple of interesting soundbites to take-away from today, and perhaps more than was offered during the Labour Party Conference, but we were hoping for more than posturing. Perhaps that was our short-coming.