Tory MPs have accused Rishi Sunak of “offering the electorate dystopia” after an appearance with Elon Musk in which the billionaire warned that artificial intelligence could take everyone’s jobs and leave them searching for meaning in their lives.
Many MPs were left baffled by the prime minister’s decision to conduct an interview with the Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) owner at the end of the AI safety summit at Bletchley Park. However, some are furious about the event, which painted a bleak picture of the future.
“I despair at No 10’s naivety,” said one senior Tory. “People are worried about their finances, climate change, pandemics, war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and now the PM has provided Elon Musk with an interview platform to say, sometime soon, that they and their children will not have jobs, a life without meaning.
“For crying out loud, we have a general election inside a year and the PM is offering the electorate dystopia. Thick, thick, thick.”
It comes at a crucial moment for Sunak before a highly political king’s speech in which he plans to cause trouble for Labour over net zero goals and also launch a battle to be seen as the party for homeowners and renters.
The Observer understands it will include a recommitment to a manifesto pledge to ban so-called “no fault” evictions. It comes after Sunak was warned by officials that the Tories would “face the consequences at the ballot box” if it failed to appeal to an expanding group of young renters. Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, has said the ban would only kick in after reforms of the court system.
Rights for leaseholders and renters will also feature – but will be attacked by Labour as being diluted and far from the pledges previously made in the Tory manifesto. The speech will include a bill ensuring that all new houses in England and Wales will have to be sold as freehold properties, rather than leasehold, which leaves owners with extra costs. But Tory MPs already want Sunak to go further and include flats in the changes.
Labour has been gaining ground on the issue of housing. When asked which party would be better at helping people buy their own homes, an Opinium poll for the Observer last week found that 36% chose Labour, and only 16% the Conservatives. However, Sunak’s appearance with Musk, in which the billionaire said AI would eliminate the need for all jobs and raise the question of how we “find meaning in life”, has frustrated many Tories, as they return to Westminster still trailing Labour by a significant margin.
“It’s head in hands,” said one MP. “In common with millions of people in this country, I have children. Basically, a Conservative prime minister provided a platform for a conspiracist to say their children’s lives were going to be meaningless. It’s utterly breathtaking. Unbelievable crassness. Who thought this was a good idea?”
A former cabinet minister said: “[Sunak] has an enthusiasm for the subject. But it’s a medium-to-long-term issue, when what we need is a build-up to a good autumn statement following an ambitious, imaginative king’s speech.” Another veteran MP said: “I think accentuating how it benefits public services would be more productive.” Some MPs saw the Musk interview, and the attention on AI as a whole, as more evidence that Sunak was indulging in policies that matched his personal interests – such as a ban on smoking and the axing of HS2 north of Birmingham. Labour has accused him of angling for a post-No 10 job.
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Downing Street is now focused on the king’s speech, the last government legislative programme before the next election. Insiders insist the statement will be substantial, despite limited time before the expected date of the general election next autumn.
The agenda is set to include pro-car policies and commitments on oil and gas exploration, both designed to wrongfoot Labour.mKeir Starmer, the Labour leader, is expected to respond that the Tories have failed working people after 13 years in power and now only offer “division and more of the same”. He will present a rival programme, including giving first-time buyers “first dibs” on new homes in their area. Lucy Powell, the shadow Commons leader, said: “Labour will be using the week of parliamentary debates to show the choice facing the country – a failed Conservative party, or a changed Labour party which has a plan to rebuild Britain and our public services.”
Sunak signalled on Saturday night that crime would be at the heart of the speech. “Just as I have done with energy security, net zero, illegal migration and HS2, the king’s speech will take the long-term decisions to address the challenges this country faces, not the easy way out with short-term gimmicks,” he said.
“As part of this government’s commitment to create a better and brighter future for people, the king’s speech will also include a package of measures focused on strengthening our society and helping people to feel safe in their communities.”
