Government is an area that, prior to now, had not been widely represented within the UK influencer landscape. Although government and the officials who make its policies obviously influence the daily workings of national business and individual lives, government officials themselves haven’t typically been seen as influential within the tech community.
That is, the social follows, online mentions and public speaking platforms taken up by key players in government haven’t, to date, been strong enough to land many government officials in previous iterations of the Tyto Tech 500 Power List.
2019, however, signals a changing trend, wherein UK government officials are increasingly voicing their thoughts and opinions through channels that influence both business people and consumers alike.
As a consequence, government officials have cut through into the top 500 in this year’s Tyto Tech 500 Power List. Whereas a total of ten government officials featured in the 2018 Tech 500, a total of 11 feature this year. Three government officials feature in the Top 20 alone, whilst zero were present in 2018. While the numbers themselves may not seem drastically different, that’s a 300% year-on-year increase, which is not insignificant when we consider a sector that traditionally hasn’t been known for its influential impact within the mainstream.
In today’s tumultuous global political landscape, government officials are gaining increased clout and influence due to greater public appetite for (and scrutiny of) politics and its impact on all facets of daily life.
Tyto Tech 500: Top 10 Influencers in Government
- Chi Onwurah – MP, Newcastle upon Tyne Central, Labour Party
- Matt Hancock – MP, West Suffolk; Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Conservative Party
- Philip Hammond – MP, Runnymeade and Weybridge, former Conservative Party
- George Freeman – MP, Mid Norfolk, Conservative Party
- Caroline Lucas – British Green Party
- Sajid Javid – Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative Party
- Baroness Natalie Bennett – Green Party of England and Wales
- Rajesh Agrawal – Deputy Mayor of London for Business
- Molly Scott Cato – MEP, South West England
- Matt Warman – MP, Boston and Skegness
Roles are accurate at the time of compiling the Tech 500, pre-2019 general election.
Download the full UK Power List today.