FAST brands election tech pledges 'lip service'

Software body broadly welcomes parties' pledges but points to 'glaring omissions' in policy plans

The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) has welcomed the main political parties' technology-related election pledges but claims some promises are purely "lip service".

Throughout this week, political parties unveiled their manifestos in which many laid out their plans to improve technology in the country and make life easier for tech suppliers.

Alex Hilton, chief executive of FAST, said although some promises were not groundbreaking, they were still a step in the right direction.

"Overall the [technology] sector should be broadly pleased with the commitments made but we have to point out that there are some glaring omissions," he said.

"Detailed analysis of the main political parties' manifestos appears to point to a degree of lip service to the technology sector, with a host of old and recycled ideas [and] a number which sound great but give no detail on how they will be implemented. Or they just ignore the sector."

He added that the one party that has delivered clear promises on the tech industry was the Liberal Democrats.

"[They] have announced a slew of new policy initiatives aimed solely at the technology and digital arena, recognising that the UK's digital sector is growing at a rate of over 10 per cent a year, employing nearly 1.5 million people," Hilton said.

Prior to the election manifestos being released, FAST set out its own 10-point plan (full list below) with policy initiatives that it wanted to see implemented. Today it compared its own pledges to statements made in the manifestos of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Hilton described the parties' plans to encourage research and development in the UK as "a win for the whole sector" and pointed to Liberal Democrat and Conservative policies to boost spending on innovation and make life easier for start-ups.

Getting more of the country connected to the internet was another key pledge set out by all of the parties, which Hilton declared as a "vital commitment".

FAST's 10-point plan is as follows:

1. Encouraging R&D
2. Extending connectivity
3. Building on the IP legal framework
4. Support a vigorous IP regime
5. Muscular law enforcement
6. Balanced digital-content consumer law
7. Maintain investment in PIPCU [Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit] and championing Trading Standards Enforcement
8. Implement Article 4 of the EU Enforcement Directive
9. Sensible data protection
10. Deterrence and accountability