Home β€Ί Minister Scorecards β€Ί Liz Kendall
βš–οΈ Independent Assessment: This scorecard is an independent public accountability assessment. It is not an official government publication.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

Liz
Kendall

Minister Scorecard

How her decisions are impacting your household in 2026/27

View Budget Impact Compare Ministers
Last updated: 14 May 2026 Β· Data sources: DSIT, OECD, ONS, House of Commons Library
Overall Score
57 /100
Watchlist
πŸ’° Household Cost Impact +Β£8/mo
πŸ“Š Budget Delivery Score 60%
βœ“ Promise Delivery 53%
⚑ Fiscal Efficiency 6/10
πŸ‘₯ Public Confidence 42%
About the Scoring System β†’
Section β‘ 
What Liz Kendall's Policies Cost Your Household
Breakdown of all science, tech, and digital policy spending impacting the average household in 2026/27.
Policy 2025/26 (Actual) 2026/27 (Planned) YOY Change Per Household/Month
🌐Broadband Universal Service £0.8bn £1.1bn +£0.3bn +£2.40
πŸ€–AI Safety Institute Β£0.2bn Β£0.5bn +Β£0.3bn +Β£1.50
πŸ”¬Science Investment Β£8.4bn Β£9.2bn +Β£0.8bn +Β£2.40
πŸ’»Digital NHS Programme Β£1.2bn Β£1.6bn +Β£0.4bn +Β£1.70
TOTAL HOUSEHOLD IMPACT +Β£8.00/mo
Sources: DSIT, HM Treasury, OECD, OBR May 2026
Cumulative Household Impact Over Time
Β£0 Β£4 Β£6 Β£8 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26 26/27 Β£8
Your household contributes Β£8.00 more per month in 2026/27 compared to 2024/25 through science and technology levies.
Section β‘‘
Promises vs Reality
What Liz Kendall said before and after taking office β€” and what actually happened.
Promise Made

"We will make Britain a global AI superpower."

What Happened

AI Safety Institute operational, but UK ranked 4th globally in AI investment. 3 of 5 AI Action Plan milestones met.

Impact

The UK is losing ground to the US, China, and EU in the race for AI leadership and investment.

~ PARTIAL
Promise Made

"We will deliver gigabit broadband to all households by 2030."

What Happened

Gigabit coverage: 81% (target was 85% by 2025). Rural roll-out 3 years behind schedule.

Impact

Millions of rural households remain on slower connections, limiting remote work and access to digital services.

~ PARTIAL
Promise Made

"We will double R&D investment."

What Happened

R&D tax credit reforms introduced, but OECD data shows UK R&D at 1.7% GDP vs 2.4% target.

Impact

UK R&D intensity remains well below OECD average. The target of doubling investment is not on track.

~ PARTIAL
View All Promises & Commitments β†’
Section β‘’
Key Performance Indicators
10 core metrics tracked against Liz Kendall's stated targets for 2026/27.
πŸ€–
AI Global Ranking
Target: Top 3
4th
OFF TRACK
OECD May 2026
🌐
Gigabit Coverage
Target: 85%
81%
OFF TRACK
Ofcom Apr 2026
πŸ”¬
R&D % GDP
Target: 2.4%
1.7%
OFF TRACK
OECD May 2026
πŸ’»
Digital NHS
Target: On budget
+33%
FAILED
DSIT May 2026
πŸ›οΈ
Tech Investment
Target: +Β£20bn
+Β£14bn
OFF TRACK
DSIT May 2026
πŸ”’
Cyber Security
Target: NCSC rated
78%
OFF TRACK
NCSC May 2026
πŸŽ“
STEM Graduates
Target: +15%
+7%
OFF TRACK
HESA 2026
πŸš€
Unicorn Companies
Target: 50
38
OFF TRACK
Dealroom 2026
πŸ’°
AI Regulation
Target: Framework live
Consult.
OFF TRACK
DSIT May 2026
🌍
Space Economy
Target: Β£4bn
Β£3.1bn
OFF TRACK
UKSpaceA 2026
Section β‘£
Every Penny In, Every Penny Out
How DSIT budgets are allocated across priorities in 2026/27.
2026/27 Spending
Β£13.8bn
Total
Science β€” 67%
Digital β€” 18%
AI/Tech β€” 8%
Other β€” 7%
Area Share Approx. Value
Science67%Β£9.2bn
Digital18%Β£2.5bn
AI/Tech8%Β£1.1bn
Other7%Β£1.0bn
TOTAL (DSIT)100%Β£13.8bn
Source: HM Treasury Spending Review 2025, DSIT Annual Report 2026
Explore Full Spending Breakdown β†’
Section β‘€
Questions the Public Are Asking
The most searched questions about Liz Kendall β€” answered with data.
Is the UK falling behind in AI? +
The UK has slipped to 4th globally in AI investment, behind the US, China, and the EU bloc. While the AI Safety Institute is operational β€” the first of its kind globally β€” it focuses on safety research rather than competitive deployment. Private AI investment into UK firms reached Β£14bn in 2025/26, well short of the Β£20bn target. The government's AI Action Plan set 5 milestones; 3 have been met.
Why is broadband still slow in rural areas? +
Gigabit broadband coverage reached 81% of UK premises in early 2026, against a target of 85% by the end of 2025. Rural areas account for the shortfall, where the cost per premise of laying fibre can be 10–20x higher than in urban areas. The government's Project Gigabit programme is 3 years behind its original rural roll-out schedule, with 19% of households β€” predominantly rural β€” still awaiting gigabit-capable connections.
What is the AI Safety Institute? +
The AI Safety Institute (AISI) was established in 2023 and is the world's first government body dedicated to the safety testing of advanced AI models. It evaluates frontier AI systems for potential harms before deployment. The DSIT budget allocated Β£0.5bn to the AISI in 2026/27. While widely praised internationally, critics argue it is better resourced for safety research than for boosting the UK's commercial AI competitiveness.
How does R&D investment compare internationally? +
OECD data for 2025/26 shows UK R&D spending at 1.7% of GDP, compared to an OECD average of 2.7% and the UK government's own target of 2.4%. South Korea spends 4.9%, Sweden 3.5%, and Germany 3.1%. Despite the R&D tax credit reforms introduced in 2024, the incentive changes have had limited impact on business R&D spend, which fell in real terms across SMEs.
What is the Online Safety Act doing? +
The Online Safety Act came into force in 2023 and is now being enforced by Ofcom. Platforms with over 100,000 UK users must complete risk assessments, implement safety measures, and comply with new transparency codes. By May 2026, Ofcom had issued enforcement notices against 4 major platforms and was investigating 12 others. The Act's children's safety provisions β€” requiring age verification β€” are being phased in through 2026.
Public Sentiment
Approve 42%
Disapprove 42%
No change 12%
Source: YouGov May 2026 Β· n=4,200
Have Your Say
Has the UK's tech policy improved your life?
Significantly worse off48%
Somewhat worse off30%
No change16%
Better off6%
Britain Needs Us community poll Β· May 2026 Β· n=14,820
Share This Scorecard
Liz Kendall β€” 57/100
UK AI RANKED 4TH GLOBALLY
GIGABIT TARGET MISSED Β· Britain Needs Us
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