When Rishi Sunak left Downing Street in 2024, some people expected him to fade into the background of British politics, perhaps maybe to write a memoir or re-enter finance. Instead though, the former Prime Minister of the UK has taken a wild turn into the heart of the technology industry.
Sunak has accepted part time advisory positions with both Microsoft and the artificial intelligence company Anthropic which are two of the world’s most powerful and richest players in the tech race. The decision has restarted a contentious debate over how closely political figures should work with corporations they once helped regulate.
Sunak Goes From UK PM to Silicon Valley Strategy
According to letters published by the UK’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), Sunak’s new roles will involve providing top level advice rather than direct political lobbying as per reports. This is based on his letter to Acoba which was worried with these new roles for the ex PM as they said,
‘a reasonable concern that your appointment could be seen to offer unfair access and influence within the UK government’.
Furthermore, Sunak explained that his Microsoft position would see him ,
‘providing high-level strategic perspectives on macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and how they intersect with innovation, regulation, and digital transformation,’ while making clear that he would ‘not be advising on any UK policy matters.’
So in simple words, the former UK PM is keeping politics allegedly out of his new jobs.
The other big firm Sunak will work for, Anthropic, meanwhile, said Sunak’s experience in government made him a valuable voice as AI evolves rapidly and his expertise will be valuable. A company spokesperson praised the former Prime Minister,
‘He was among the first global leaders to recognize AI’s transformative potential, establishing the world’s first AI Safety Institute and convening the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park,’ they added ‘His experience will provide valuable strategic perspective as we work to ensure AI benefits humanity. This internally-focused, part-time advisory role fully complies with the conditions of Acoba, and Mr Sunak is donating his entire compensation to the Richmond Project charity’
Why Rishi Sunak’s New Jobs Might Be Controversial
Why controversy is stirring here is because these roles mark a striking return to the private sector for Sunak, whose time in office was defined by his push to make Britain a global hub for artificial intelligence and digital innovation as per reports. It is well known that he was a vocal supporter of tech investment, securing a £2.5 billion Microsoft expansion in the UK during his time as PM and Microsoft is about to invest a total of £22 billion more as per reports in the future.
That same company now counts him among its senior advisers a link that, while approved by Acoba, has raised some eyebrows and obviously his political rivals might stir the pot. Acoba though did say to Sunak,
‘There is no suggestion any decisions or actions were taken in office in expectation of this role, and the Cabinet Office confirmed it is not aware of any decisions you made that were specific to Anthropic, as opposed to sector wide.’
This serves well for Sunak to avoid any major backlash. To counter potential criticism, Sunak has pledged to donate all earnings from these advisory posts to a new charity he founded, the Richmond Project, which focuses on boosting numeracy and social mobility so that will probably give him a moral defence against any accusations by his political opponents.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
