Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reappointed Liz Lloyd to a government cyber policy role, opting for continuity on cybersecurity even as he carried out a broad restructuring of Whitehall departments following his appointment this week.
Lloyd was named to a junior post at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) late Thursday, while retaining a second role at the newly renamed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST). Her exact portfolio has not been formally announced, but Whitehall sources indicate she will resume the cyber brief she has held since September 2025.
The reappointment stands out because Burnham’s initial ministerial appointments largely removed allies of his predecessor, Keir Starmer, whom Burnham succeeded after a Labour Party leadership contest. Lloyd previously served as Starmer’s director of policy delivery and sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Lloyd of Effra, holding no elected seat.
Legislation at a critical stage
Lloyd is currently guiding the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill through the House of Lords, its final legislative chamber. The bill cleared second reading with cross-party support earlier this month, and line-by-line scrutiny is due to begin in September. Replacing the minister at this stage risked delaying legislation the government wants passed this year.
The bill updates cybersecurity rules dating from 2018, expanding coverage to more organizations, including data centers and managed service providers, and setting incident reporting deadlines for operators of essential services such as energy, water, and health care. It also grants ministers power to amend the rules and issue directions to companies on national security grounds.
Lloyd was previously the minister responsible when the government weakened proposed telecoms cybersecurity protections developed in response to the Salt Typhoon espionage campaign, after affected companies lobbied against the measures citing cost and practicality.
Department broken up
Among Burnham’s first acts was dissolving the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which had overseen cyber policy since 2023. Its functions were split three ways: cyber policy and government digital services moved to DCMS, science functions to DBIST, and artificial intelligence policy along with the AI Security Institute to the Cabinet Office, separating AI security work from the cyber brief for the first time.
Industry figures warned the split undermines the integration of data, digital capability, and AI that had been the department’s core strength. Cyber policy now sits within DCMS alongside politically sensitive portfolios including Online Safety and the BBC Charter renewal. Whitehall sources noted DCMS permanent secretary Susannah Storey has extensive cyber experience, though staff will still need ministerial backing.
Lloyd has committed to publishing the National Cyber Action Plan, the government’s strategy for defending the broader economy against state-backed and criminal hacking, this summer. The plan had been expected earlier in July but was delayed following Starmer’s resignation.