If Burnham wants growth, he must start by backing AI and Tech founders and risk-takers, says Liam Houghton

Mace | 23rd July 2026 | Comment, Politics

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to make Britain the best place to start and scale a business, argues CEO Liam Houghton.

Ten years. Seven Prime Ministers. Multiple agendas. That’s too many, if you ask me. Running a business is already hard in itself, but having to navigate continuous policy change on top of it isn’t helping. Successive governments have made it difficult for founders to take risks, scale companies and even stay in the country. A 2025 survey showed that nearly half of fintech founders have considered relocating their business outside of the UK. If Britain wants to retain its position as a competitive tech ecosystem, that needs to change. 

"Ten years, seven Prime Ministers, multiple agendas"

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to fix this by making Britain the best place to start and scale a business. Here are the areas he should focus on.  Rewarding job creation  Every politician talks about growth. Far fewer make it cheaper to create it. For Andy Burnham to deliver on the Government’s mission of bringing “good growth in every postcode,” he needs to make it ...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Police must protect the public not just catch the bad guy

Mace | January 24, 2020

Rotherham's MP, Sarah Champion, chair of an important parliamentary group on adult survivors of child sexual abuse, wants to see some change at the MoJ

Phillip Blond: ‘We live in a post-liberal world’

Alice Wright | January 24, 2020

The political philosopher ponders policy, populism and the changed landscape of European politics

Out of Office: What does a holiday destination reveal about a premiership?

William Cash | January 16, 2020

William Cash considers Boris Johnson’s Christmas break in Mustique and finds a prime minister’s choice of holiday location to be highly revealing.

Recline and sprawl

Adam Solomons | January 16, 2020

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s languid pose on the Treasury bench launched a thousand memes on social media. Five observers interpret his body language for us.

Treasury still wields too much influence, says ex-Commons clerk

Eliot Wilson | January 16, 2020

This fortress at the heart of Westminster acts as if it owns the public finances and such a monopolistic attitude is deeply damaging.

Inside the Cummings Revolution

Adam Solomons | January 16, 2020

How much can Whitehall’s antiquated government offices learn from the Palo Alto tech giants?

Dominic Cummings Special

The Jackdaw: Staffers Had It Hardest

Marie Le Conte | January 16, 2020

Over the last year we’ve seen dozens of MPs switch parties or go independent. But how does such an unexpected move affect their hard-working staff?

The Mace guide to being a novice MP

Brooks Newmark | January 16, 2020

Still finding your way around the Palace? Not sure where to sit in the Chamber? Former minister Brooks Newmark is here to assist

Diary: Harry Potter Politics with Damian Collins

Damian Collins MP | January 15, 2020

Damian Collins remembers his election victory and rejoices at the new Commons term