Dan Aldridge MP

Digital inclusion is fast becoming one of the most important drivers of opportunity in the UK, and nowhere is its impact more transformational than in coastal and rural communities such as my constituency of Weston-super-Mare. These areas face higher levels of deprivation than the national average, fewer large employers and more seasonal, low-paid work. 

When people also lack reliable internet, decent mobile signal, a suitable device, or the skills to navigate online services, they are effectively locked out of modern work, education and even basic public services. Digital exclusion compounds existing disadvantage, and that is exactly why tackling it is such a powerful opportunity for our coastal & country areas, helping to drive economic growth at a local level.

As Chair of the APPG for Digital Inclusion, and now as a member of the Business and Trade Select Committee, I have repeatedly seen how the lack of digital access, skills and confidence holds back individuals, businesses and, at times, almost entire communities. I have seen first-hand the challenges facing small businesses, such as regional skills shortages and barriers to productivity – and one theme is clear: without closing the digital divide, we cannot close the economic divide.

The UK Government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the first national digital inclusion strategy in over a decade, takes important first steps: reducing data and device poverty, expanding community-based digital support, and working across departments to boost digital skills. These changes matter on the ground. 

Stronger connectivity means residents can access remote and hybrid jobs, which are increasingly the norm in many sectors. Affordable devices allow families to support children’s learning and adults to retrain or upskill from home. Improved digital skills open doors to better-paid roles in areas like cybersecurity, digital health, AI-enabled services and other fast-growing industries.

For local businesses, digital inclusion is essential to long-term competitiveness. Through the Committee, I’ve heard from small firms struggling to adopt even basic digital tools because they cannot recruit staff with the right skills, or because their broadband simply isn’t reliable enough. When businesses can properly use online marketplaces, digital marketing, data analytics or cloud services, their productivity increases, and so does the resilience of the local economy. In coastal towns, where high streets are under pressure and traditional industries have declined, digital capability is a route to diversification and renewed growth.

Digital inclusion is not just about technology; it is about fairness, aspiration and economic renewal. By improving connectivity, supporting digital skills and ensuring no one is left behind, we can give communities like Weston-super-Mare, along our coast, and inland across our countryside, access to new jobs, new industries and new opportunities. 

This is how we build a more prosperous, more inclusive, and more dynamic Britain, one where geography no longer determines the limits of someone’s future.