The UK government developed plans to expand datacentre capacity for artificial intelligence after holding meetings with 137 businesses, but did not meet any environmental groups during that process, an investigation has found.
The nonprofit Spotlight on Corruption said its review showed a “considerable revolving door” between Whitehall and the private AI sector as policy for so-called "AI growth zones" was shaped. The group reported that 38 ministers, senior civil servants and special advisers moved into jobs with AI companies between July 2024 and September 2026.
Policy process and stakeholders
Spotlight on Corruption’s findings focus on how the government engaged with industry while developing datacentre expansion plans, which formed a central plank of former prime minister Keir Starmer’s AI and economic policy. The investigation found extensive contact between government officials and businesses, but no recorded meetings with environmental organisations who might raise concerns about land use, energy demand or local impacts.
Revolving door concerns
The report highlighted the number of former government figures who took up positions in the AI sector shortly after involvement in relevant policy areas. Spotlight on Corruption described this movement of personnel between public office and private industry as a “considerable revolving door,” suggesting it may have influenced the direction and priorities of the government’s approach to datacentre siting and regulation.
Responses and implications
The findings are likely to prompt questions about transparency and the balance of voices involved in planning decisions that have environmental and local planning implications. Officials have not been quoted in the findings summarised here, and the investigation did not detail the nature of each meeting or the specific roles taken by the 38 officials.
Broader debate
Datacentre expansion for AI workloads has been a prominent element of recent UK economic and technology strategy, raising debates about energy infrastructure, planning regimes and local impacts. The Spotlight on Corruption report adds to scrutiny over how those strategies were developed and who was involved in shaping them.