It is an attractive thought that Gordon Brown is quite possibly the last Prime Minister to be a self-confessed computer ignoramus. At the age of 56, Brown is towards the back end of a generation for whom IT skills were of peripheral interest. He can still get away with laughing at his own lack of technology know-how but the paucity of technology understanding displayed by UK leaders over the years has cost the country dear.

Wilson recognised that the “white heat of technology” would burn through the old economy. To his credit, he set up the Open University, the nearest this country has come to fulfilling the promise of lifelong learning.

In the days of Heath and Callaghan, however, the economy was in a slump and the country represented a hopelessly bad environment for making technology investments. Unlike Thatcher, Blair had the intelligence to realise an overhaul of government infrastructure was long overdue but didn’t follow through on the promise of making the UK a more hospitable environment for technology risk-takers.

Still, Brown has a platform on which to build. With the occasional caveat, Broadband Britain is here and the economy is healthy. What is needed now is a bolder attitude.

By encouraging home working through company tax breaks or other incentives, Brown could take the weight off our creaking transport infrastructure, trim millions of individual carbon footprints and recalibrate work-life balance.

His R&D tax credits were a step forward, but they need to be expanded to attract companies to invest here and capitalise on the strength of UK universities.

With the carrot of incubator grants, internet startups can demonstrate that, in a global economy, being based in Newcastle, Aberdeen or Belfast need not be a barrier to success.

And by talking less and acting more, the skills situation can be addressed, through practical courses that encourage everybody to add valuable, profitable skills no matter how old they are.

Nobody expects the Prime Minister to be a geek, but Brown needs to master the technology brief, and quickly.