Local MP Alan Mak says the Labour Government has failed a credibility test with its approach to copyright and AI.
In his role as Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, he spoke in a debate in Parliament on the Data (Use and Access) Bill and said the last Conservative Government left Britain with a world-class creative industries sector - but now Labour’s "dither and delay" was causing huge anxiety.
He told his Government counterpart Peter Kyle: "Labour’s approach to copyright and AI is the ultimate test of its credibility on tech and creative industries issues, and it has failed - the entire sector knows it.
"Rather than solving a problem, Labour is the problem."
Mr Mak said the timing of Labour's Bill, which aims to unlock the use of data for the public interest, meant it cut across its own consultation on AI and copyright law that has not yet finished.
"The Government’s consultation is open for another two weeks and it will take them many months to respond to the views expressed.
"On top of that, more time will be needed for the Government to come to any sort of conclusion, and that is before the Chancellor and No. 10 panic, take control of the policy, edge out the Secretary of State and cause even more delay.
"It is extremely unfortunate that this legislation is passing through Parliament now, while the consultation is still ongoing. If the Government really took seriously the views of the public, the tech sector, the creative industries and other stakeholders, they would not be following this approach or timetable.
"The timing of the consultation and the Bill reflects Labour’s entirely incoherent approach."
Mr Mak also said there had also been no impact assessment.
"The creative industries sector is valuable. It is worth £124bn to the UK economy and employs over 2.4 million people. They will all be damaged by Labour’s approach and they all deserve better, so why has an impact assessment not been published at the same time as the consultation? What has Labour got to hide?"
He added that the sector was not happy with Labour's proposal that creatives such as journalists, songwriters and film-makers would be required to proactively opt out of data mining by AI companies.
"The creative industries sector is telling us that that solution is not fit for purpose. We will hold the Labour Government to account because the creative industries are extremely important.
"Under the Conservatives, we became the second largest exporter of television programming and the fourth largest exporter of film, while also being home to world-class theatre, music, broadcasting and journalism.
"The Secretary of State needs to listen to the creative industries sector. So far he has ignored that sector, issued a consultation late and given it no faith whatsoever.
"Labour’s consultation provides the worst of all worlds: it does not provide any legal certainty or allow the views of those who have responded to be taken seriously."
