Peter Kyle, the MP for Hove and Portslade, has been appointed to Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.
Mr Kyle, 53, is the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, and one of the most senior minister’s in the Labour government.
He increased his majority at the general election to just shy of 20,000, winning more than 50 per cent of the overall vote on a turnout of 70 per cent.
The BBC quoted Mr Kyle talking about his new ministerial role, saying that for him “unlocking the benefits of artificial intelligence is personal”.
His mother died of lung cancer, which was detected too late, but the cutting-edge medical scans now being developed could well have saved her.
Mr Kyle has served as a shadow minister since Sir Keir became opposition leader, including a stint as the shadow Northern Ireland secretary.
He won his parliamentary seat from the Conservatives in 2015 and initially served on a House of Commons select committee.
He was threatened with the prospect of deselection before the 2019 general election, when Jeremy Corbyn was party leader, as members of the left-wing Momentum faction asserted themselves.
But since the 2019 election defeat, the party has moved back towards the centre ground – a position aligned more closely with Mr Kyle’s own instincts.
The Financial Times recently quoted Mr Kyle saying that Labour would boost Britain’s tech sector by easing planning and procurement processes.
He studied at Sussex University which already has an interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence known as Sussex AI (artificial intelligence).
Deputy Chair of Labour Friends of Israel so I heard
Looks to be a positive organisation proposing a 2-state solution, and so much better than supporting Hamas.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Friends_of_Israel
I don’t support Hamas btw
Is he? Good for him
Not my MP but always seems to be one of the better ones and works for his constituents.
Well deserved choice of a hard working and popular MP who works hard in his constituency and in Parliament. Congratulations to Peter Kyle.
I believe one of the richest Labour MP with a net worth of £5 million.
He is the very first Brighton or Hove MP ever to sit in the Cabinet – since Brighton became a separate constituency in 1832 or since that was split in 1950 into the 3 separate seats we know today.
A handful of our past MPs have been junior ministers, but he is our first Secretary of State.
I am not a Labour supporter, but I do believe Peter Kyle is a man of great integrity and common sense. Were it not for the fact that I had no wish to give my support to Starmer, I would have voted for him. He was the first to speak out about the appalling conditions in care homes during the early days of Covid, when many residents and staff were needlessly dying, and he was the first to deal with the problem of landlords sexually exploiting young women who were in need of accommodation. Labour are very fortunate to have him working for them.
Nothing you have said makes any sense.
You praise the man yet refuse to vote for him because you don’t like Starmer?!
Talk about selfish.
It comes across as an odd line to draw for me, fella. You’d rather a person you liked and is a force for good, by your own admission, not get in because you don’t like Starmer. Put it this way, do you think Labour, as a party, is going to be more likely aligned with your personal politics with Kyle, a person you agree with, or without?
Shame he couldn’t have got a portfolio that looks after tourism or something as an MP that may have relevance to his experience and Brighton. He has know experience of the corporate or Science world.
Perhaps look at the backgrounds of his two predecessors before commenting on his.
It’s a weak argument to make when you consider many of the ministers aren’t associated with the subject of boards they chair oftentimes.
Peter does have commercial experience in science, having been involved in a video production company.
But what a great first day at the office yesterday (Sunday), when he got to present the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix trophy to Lewis Hamilton.