The Vale of Glamorgan’s Member of Parliament, Kanishka Narayan, has been promoted to a Cabinet-attending role as Minister of State with responsibility for artificial intelligence in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new administration.
Narayan was elected to represent the Vale of Glamorgan in July 2024 and moves into the post having served since 7 September 2025 as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. His new brief is cross-departmental, sitting across the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and will require him to attend Cabinet meetings.
What the appointment means locally
For residents and businesses in the Vale of Glamorgan, the promotion carries practical and symbolic consequences. Locally based companies working in technology and innovation may find a more direct channel to national decision-makers. The presence of a Vale MP at Cabinet table also raises the prospect that regional concerns and opportunities will be better heard at the centre of government.
- Role: Minister of State (Minister for Artificial Intelligence)
- Previous government post: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (from 7 September 2025)
- Constituency: Vale of Glamorgan — elected July 2024
Minister's stated priorities
On social media, Narayan set out an ambitious view of AI’s potential and risks, stressing the need for Britain to act now to influence how the technology develops. He described AI as a historic technology and argued for acting with speed and ambition to secure British influence.
“AI is likely the most significant technology in human history. Its impact will dwarf other things... While that window is still open, I will act with pace, I will act with ambition, and I will focus relentlessly on securing British influence in shaping AI.”
He also made specific reference to his roots in Wales and the Vale of Glamorgan, saying the place he represents would inform his approach to the role and thanking constituents in Welsh: “Diolch o galon to everyone in the Vale of Glamorgan.”
Broader ministerial changes
The reshuffle that elevated Narayan also brought other changes affecting Wales. Stephen Kinnock, the MP for Aberafan Maesteg, has been appointed Secretary of State for Wales, replacing Jo Stevens. Kinnock was previously Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care.
| Name | New role | Previous role |
|---|---|---|
| Kanishka Narayan | Minister of State (Minister for AI) | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, DSIT |
| Stephen Kinnock | Secretary of State for Wales | Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Care |
Residents and local organisations will be watching closely to see how Narayan uses his new position to shape AI policy and whether that will translate into tangible support for skills, jobs and investment in the Vale of Glamorgan. Ministers with cross-departmental briefs can influence a wide range of policy areas, from industry strategy to public services, and Narayan’s stated focus on both opportunity and risk suggests a broad remit.
As this appointment bedded in, constituents seeking clarity on how national AI policy might affect local services, employment or training opportunities are likely to press for meetings with their MP’s office and for clear local plans from Vale of Glamorgan councils and business groups.
