Starmer Data Centre Project at risk due to 'Creaking' National Grid

Microsoft has warned that billions of pounds of investment in Britain is being put at risk by delays connecting to the creaking electricity grid. The technology giant said a decade-long backlog for new connections was leading to uncertainty over its £2.5bn plan to build data centres across Britain. The warning deals a blow to Labour’s hopes of attracting massive data centre projects to the UK, which are seen as crucial to Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to put artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of public services and growth. Earlier this month the Prime Minister announced a new Whitehall mantra to not waste civil service time on “a task where digital or AI can do it better” as part of plans to reduce the size of the state.