The UK government is under immense pressure to respond to geopolitical instability, financial pressures and rapid technological change - but traditional policymaking methods are struggling to keep pace. AI has the potential to transform how government makes decisions, delivers public services and responds to a rapidly changing world - but what would a smart AI-enabled state actually look like? And is the government ready to adopt and embed AI?

With Andy Burnham now two-thirds of the way through his first 100 days in Downing Street, AI is a topic he has already had to face head-on. But might Burnham's new government use AI to build a smarter, more agile state?

To dive into this question, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sat down with Professor Geoff Mulgan, former head of the Number 10 Strategy Unit, on our deep-dive series from the Policy Fix podcast: Andy Burnham's first 100 days.

Our duo discuss the areas where AI could transform policymaking, allowing civil servants to analyse evidence, test ideas and model scenarios at speed - and why avoiding AI-dependence while keeping human judgement intact is critical.

The conversation explores what an AI-enabled government could mean for Andy Burnham's approach to public control, how AI could make regulators smarter, whether public services could continuously learn and improve and what a more democratic alternative to centralised, authoritarian uses of AI might look like.

So, as Andy Burnham approaches the end of his first 100 days, what could he do to start modernising the state with AI? Listen to our latest episode to find out.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:41 Designing policymaking for the AI era
06:16 Will AI create overconfident generalists?
07:31 Using AI in the spending review
11:03 How AI could fix meetings
14:12 Leapfrogging Westminster
15:47 Can AI make state planning work?
19:57 Smarter regulators
21:56 A democratic alternative to authoritarian AI
23:41 Global governance of AI
27:34 Public services that continuously learn
32:38 How many civil servants should there be?
34:11 The one thing Burnham should do

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Watch the full series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfr-pIsrx5ko
Find out more about Nesta: https://www.nesta.org.uk

Nesta is a UK research and innovation foundation. We design, test and scale solutions to the big challenges of our time. We're funded by a charity endowment and are politically neutral.

Former Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Black joins Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy to ask how Andy Burnham can make the UK economy more secure in a world where trade, technology, energy and investment have become tools of geopolitical competition.

This episode is part of Andy Burnham's first 100 days, our deep-dive series on the choices facing the new prime minister.

Ravi and Jonathan talk about how the UK should handle its economic relationships with the US, China and Europe, and where it needs to cut its reliance on countries and technologies that could leave it exposed. Jonathan draws on 25 years in government, including time as the prime minister's G7 and G20 sherpa. He goes through the hard trade-offs on offshore wind, AI and industrial policy, whether the UK should make a strategic bet on Europe, and what Whitehall needs to change to make these decisions well.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:56 Can a prime minister avoid foreign policy?
05:48 Global integration meets great power rivalry
08:03 Does US–China interdependence prevent conflict?
13:28 How economic security policy fails
19:36 The Mingyang offshore wind decision
25:40 AI and sovereign capability
28:46 Depending on US frontier models
32:08 Should the UK make a strategic bet on Europe?
35:24 Middle powers and coalitions of the willing
37:52 How Whitehall needs to change
43:08 Working with business without being captured
44:50 Burnham's diary and his first 100 days

Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe – and share it with your network.

Watch the full series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfr-pIsrx5ko
Find out more about Nesta: https://www.nesta.org.uk

Nesta is a UK research and innovation foundation. We design, test and scale solutions to the big challenges of our time. We're funded by a charity endowment and are politically neutral.

The UK's overseas aid budget is at its lowest level in decades, with cuts having far-reaching consequences for people and communities around the world. But increasing aid spending would mean making difficult choices at home too. With his first 100 days drawing to a close, how should Andy Burnham be looking to make foreign aid spending work? And how can he make sure that money has the greatest impact?

To dive into these questions, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy was joined by Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, on the Policy Fix podcast's deep-dive series: Andy Burnham's first 100 days.

They discuss what the UK's reduced aid spending means in practice, from its impact on children, women and climate action to the risks of doing nothing. They also explore how Burnham's government could make the case for increasing aid spending at a time when there are competing pressures on public money at home.

The conversation looks at how the UK could use its influence to put international development higher up the global agenda, including through the G7 and G20. They also explore how to get better value from aid spending - from reforming international finance and tackling debt to finding better ways to deliver and scale what works.

So, as Andy Burnham approaches the end of his first 100 days, what should he do to make UK aid work harder? Listen to the full episode to find out.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Why development matters to a domestically focused PM
03:15 Has the UK lost influence after the aid cuts?
04:26 Beyond the 0.7% target
06:30 Reforming global finance and tackling debt
12:23 Can finance reform make up for aid cuts?
15:12 Aid in fragile and conflict-hit countries
18:21 Getting money out before disasters strike
20:43 How energy shocks and trade barriers hit the poorest
24:18 What the G7 and G20 actually do
30:36 What the UK should put on the G20 agenda
33:06 How to run an ambitious G20 presidency
35:44 Making the case for development at home
39:55 The role of philanthropy
42:33 The one thing Burnham should do

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Watch the full series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfr-pIsrx5ko
Find out more about Nesta: https://www.nesta.org.uk

The world's biggest tech companies now shape what we see, think and do online every day - raising big questions about who really holds the balance of power between them and national governments.

The previous government proposed banning social media for under-16s, a policy Andy Burnham has also backed. But is that enough? As Burnham sets out his agenda, what should he prioritise in his first 100 days to protect children online, strengthen the UK's digital independence and make powerful tech companies more accountable?

In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix, Nesta's policy podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sits down with some of the country’s leading experts on policy and government. Rather than just rehearsing the problems facing Burnham, they stress-test the big ideas that should shape his agenda, discuss the policy solutions he should actually pursue and map out the steps he should take to get started in his first 100 days.

In this episode, Ravi is joined by filmmaker, politician and leading voice on children’s rights in the digital environment, Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, to unpack the steps Andy Burnham should take to decisively reclaim public control from Silicon Valley.

Taking a wider view than proposed responses like social media bans or regulating AI, Beeban argues the real challenge is the growing power of a handful of tech companies. She explains why governments should hold platforms responsible for harmful and addictive products, not just the content they host.

The conversation also explores the risks of powerful AI, why the UK should make better use of trusted public data from organisations like the NHS and the BBC and how Britain can build digital technology that serves the public interest instead of corporate profit.

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We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833.

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As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham will need to find money to fund public services and deliver on his promises. But how should he raise it? Is a wealth tax the answer, or are there better ways to reform Britain's tax system?

In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy speaks to leading experts about the big decisions facing a new Prime Minister. Together, they test the ideas that could shape Burnham's first 100 days and explore what it would take to turn them into action.

In this episode, Ravi is joined by economist Dr Arun Advani to explore how Burnham could raise billions while making the tax system fairer and simpler.

Rather than introducing an annual wealth tax straight away, Arun argues there are faster, more practical reforms. He explains how changes to capital gains tax and National Insurance could raise significant revenue while encouraging investment and closing loopholes.

The conversation also explores whether the UK's property tax system needs an overhaul, the trade-offs between local and national tax reform, and how government can create a tax system that is fairer, more stable and fit for the future.

Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe – and share it with your network.

We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833.

To find out more or connect with us, check out our website and socials:

Website: nesta.org.uk

Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/nestauk.bsky.social

Facebook: facebook.com/nesta.uk

Instagram: instagram.com/nesta_uk/?hl=en

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nesta

Bringing essential services back under public control is a key part of Andy Burnham’s agenda. But with rising energy bills, struggling water infrastructure and growing frustration with privatised utilities, how can government deliver change without the cost of buying everything back?

In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy speaks to leading experts about the big decisions facing a new Prime Minister. Together, they test the ideas that could shape Burnham's first 100 days and explore what it would take to turn them into action.

In this episode, Ravi Gurumurthy is joined by economist and Nesta policy fellow Tony Curzon Price to explore how a new government can give the public more control over essential services without returning to old models of nationalisation.

They discuss why traditional regulation has often failed to deliver better outcomes and how government could take a more active role in shaping markets - from energy and water to digital services. The conversation also explores how better use of data could give people more control online and why creating a stronger public digital infrastructure could help build fairer markets.

Listen now to discover the practical steps Andy Burnham could take in his first 100 days to rebuild trust, improve public services and rethink the role of government.

Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe - and share with your network.

We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833.

To find out more or connect with us, check out our website and socials:

Website: nesta.org.uk

Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/nestauk.bsky.social

Facebook:facebook.com/nesta.uk

Instagram: instagram.com/nesta_uk/hl=en

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The UK spends billions renting back access to its own data from private vendors, leaving crucial public information locked away in disconnected systems. That fragmentation holds back public service reform, stifles innovation and hampers economic growth.

If new Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants to transform the UK from a passive tech tenant into a sovereign digital architect, reforming our digital infrastructure is non-negotiable. So where should he begin?

In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix, Nesta's policy podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sits down with some of the country’s leading experts on policy and government. Rather than just rehearsing the problems facing Burnham, they'll stress-test the big ideas that should shape his agenda, discuss the policy solutions he should actually pursue, and map out the steps he should take to get started in his first 100 days.

In this episode, Ravi is joined by Nesta's director of applied research methods, Mallory Durran, to explore how government can take back control of our digital public infrastructure.

They unpack why adopting common digital standards across government could reduce costs, improve services and end dependence on a handful of technology suppliers; how applying the principles behind Open Banking to healthcare could accelerate medical research, improve patient care and help grow the UK's health tech sector; and why attracting and retaining world-class technical talent should be treated as a national priority for effective government.

Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe - and share with your network.

We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833.

To find out more or connect with us, check out our website and socials:

Website: nesta.org.uk

Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/nestauk.bsky.social

Facebook:facebook.com/nesta.uk

Instagram: instagram.com/nesta_uk/hl=en

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nesta

Andy Burnham wants to help people live well by building a preventative state. But the UK remains trapped in a struggling health system, burdened by chronic illness and soaring costs. How can he tackle the root causes of ill health - from poor housing to obesity - rather than just treating the symptoms?

In this special deep-dive from the Policy Fix, Nesta's policy podcast, Nesta CEO Ravi Gurumurthy sits down with some of the country’s leading experts on policy and government. Rather than just rehearsing the problems facing Burnham, they stress-test the big ideas that should shape his agenda, discuss the policy solutions he should actually pursue, and map out the steps he should take to get started in his first 100 days.

In this episode, Ravi Gurumurthy and Hugo Harper, director of our healthy life mission, break down the biggest drivers of ill health, the societal and economic costs at play - and the practical fixes Andy Burnham should focus on first.

Our duo set out an evidence-led blueprint for making prevention the foundation of the UK’s health system, exploring outcome-based regulation for major food retailers, smarter tax incentives to reduce alcohol harm, the strategic rollout of weight-loss medications (GLP-1s) and licensing prescription e-cigarettes to accelerate the decline in smoking.

Liked the episode? Rate, review, subscribe - and share with your network.

We are a UK charity and our work is enabled by a financial endowment. Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833.

To find out more or connect with us, check out our website and socials:

Website: nesta.org.uk

Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/nestauk.bsky.social

Facebook:facebook.com/nesta.uk

Instagram: instagram.com/nesta_uk/hl=en

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nesta