UK Cyber Policy Continuity Under New Prime Minister
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reappointed Liz Lloyd as the cybersecurity minister, ensuring continuity in UK cyber policy despite abolishing the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which previously oversaw cyber policy.
Lloyd, who has led on cyber since September 2025, will resume her cyber brief at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), where she has been appointed to a junior post. Her formal portfolio has not been announced, but Whitehall sources confirm she will continue to steer the government's largest cybersecurity bill in years through the House of Lords.
Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
The bill, which rewrites rules dating from 2018, extends Britain's cyber regulations to more organizations and grants ministers power to amend the rules and issue directions to companies on national security grounds. It also sets incident reporting deadlines for operators of essential services, including energy, water, and healthcare.
Lloyd's reappointment is seen as a counterpoint to Burnham's removal of allies of his predecessor, Keir Starmer, from government office. Lloyd was previously close to Starmer and served as his director of policy delivery. She holds no elected seat and sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Lloyd of Effra.
Departmental Changes
Burnham's government has split the functions of the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology three ways: cyber policy and government digital services to DCMS, science to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), and artificial intelligence policy and the AI Security Institute to the Cabinet Office.
Industry figures have warned that the split discards the integration of data, digital capability, and AI that was the department's principal strength. The move places cyber in a department also handling politically sensitive cultural portfolios, including Online Safety and a renewal of the BBC Charter.
National Cyber Action Plan
Lloyd has promised a National Cyber Action Plan, the government's strategy for defending the wider economy against state-backed and criminal hacking, which is expected to be published this summer. Publication had been expected earlier in July but was delayed due to Starmer's resignation.
A government spokesperson said:
Cybersecurity is an essential part of our daily lives, which is why we are taking robust action to protect the UK from cyber threats and improve cyber resilience across the economy. Our Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will boost UK cyber defences and improve the cyber security of our essential public and digital services.
The spokesperson added:
The functions of the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) have been redistributed to where they can have the most direct impact. This move recognises that technology is not a separate facet of our economy – it is the foundation of all future industry, culture, and public service delivery.
Conclusion
The reappointment of Liz Lloyd as cybersecurity minister ensures continuity in UK cyber policy, despite the abolition of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The government's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and National Cyber Action Plan are expected to play a crucial role in protecting the UK from cyber threats and improving cyber resilience across the economy.
For more information on UK cyber policy and the government's efforts to protect against cyber threats, visit the UK Government website.
Source: The Record