James Dyson becomes Conservative's technology tsar

Tories fight Labour's Marta Lane Fox and Alan Sugar

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5 October 2009 21:05 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The Conservative party in the UK has appointed Sir James Dyson to become the party's technology tsar as Cameron and his party fight back in the media stakes against Labour's Alan Sugar.

According to the Tories, the taskforce will set out a clear vision for boosting high tech in Britain.

"That the development of new technologies had been neglected and that a change of policy and of attitude was needed." Dyson told the party conference.

Fearing that the UK has become a society where making money is the main goal, he was keen to point out that Britain produces twice as many business graduates as engineering graduates.

"It will look at how we can harness the fantastic resources of our world-class university science and engineering departments, and at how we can generate a major expansion of high tech product development", the Tories have outlined in a paper called "Get Britain Working."

Questions already on the top of the agenda are things like how to "ensure that Britain’s high quality research is turned into high- tech products and jobs in the UK" and "How can a Conservative government encourage more students to study science at A-level, and science and engineering subjects at university?"

The news comes as Dyson plans to unveil a new yet unannounced product next week.