53:29DataAIDefenceCyberPublic Sector Reform
The Digital State
Where policy meets technology.
Hosts:Paul ScullyAsad Ansari
The Briefing
Insight for the individuals building Britain's future.
The Digital State is built for the people who have to make these decisions, or live with them. Each episode is a direct conversation, not a panel or a roundtable.
Ministers, permanent secretaries, technology executives, and defence professionals who need to understand what is actually happening, not what is being announced.
Featured
Latest Episode
41:38EP-05•8 September 2026
How AI, Cyber and Data Are Changing the Royal Air Force
In this episode of The Digital State Podcast, Paul Scully and Asad Ansari are joined by Dr Arif Mustafa, Chief Digital and Information Officer and Director Digital for the Royal Air Force, for a wide ranging conversation about the digital transformation of the RAF.
AM
Dr. Arif Mustafa
CIO, RAF Digital
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53:29
40:25What We Cover
The Agenda
The technology decisions being made now will define how public services work for a generation. These are the questions we keep returning to.
01
Digital Transformation
Modernising legacy systems and digitising citizen services across Whitehall.
02
AI in Government
Leveraging machine learning for policy analysis, operations, and public service delivery.
03
Defence & Cyber
Securing national infrastructure and exploring the future of autonomous defence technology.
04
Public Sector Reform
Breaking down silos, improving procurement, and driving efficiency through data.
05
SME Participation
Opening up the £300bn public sector market to innovative technology startups.
06
National Tech Strategy
Positioning the UK as a global leader in emerging technologies and digital regulation.
Featured
Past Guests
Kevin O'Neill
Senior Vice President
CGI UK
Emma Jones CBE
Small Business Commissioner
Department for Business and Trade
Alderman Prof. Emma Edhem
Alderman
City of London CorporationZA
Dr Zubir Ahmed MP
Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West
House of Commons
The Digital State
Our Manifesto
Britain has the talent, the institutions, and the ambition. What it needs now is the political will to govern the digital age. Not merely react to it.
The Co-Hosts
Two Insiders
Paul Scully
Former MP & Minister for Tech
Serving as Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul brings unparalleled insight into the inner workings of Whitehall, legislative processes, and the political realities of digital transformation at a national scale.
Asad Ansari
Managing Partner, Mayfair IT
With decades of experience delivering complex IT infrastructure across public and private sectors, Asad provides the technical pragmatism and commercial reality check to policy ambitions.
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