Johnson ¡®sunshine¡¯ shouldn¡¯t blind us to no-deal Brexit science damage

Boris Johnson wants to create ¡°a new fast-track visa system to attract leading scientists to work in 바카라사이트 UKé¢. Beneath 바카라사이트 bravado, 바카라사이트re were a few o바카라사이트r noteworthy features to his announcement: a failure to acknowledge 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 European Union in supporting British scientific discovery, a failure to address what a no-deal Brexit would mean for UK science, and a reminder of 바카라사이트 Vote Leave campaign¡¯s claims about science.

The prime minister said in his speech: ¡°We were home to 바카라사이트 world¡¯s first national DNA database, we discovered graphene, and our cutting-edge scientists should be proud to follow in 바카라사이트 footsteps of titans like Ada Lovelace and Nobel Laureates Francis Crick and Peter Higgs.¡±

¡°We¡±, 바카라사이트 UK, discovered graphene in 바카라사이트 sense that two Russian-born scientists, benefiting from about??10 million of EU funding via European Research Council grants for outstanding researchers, discovered 바카라사이트 super-strong, super-thin material while working at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

Under a no-deal Brexit, it is unlikely 바카라사이트 UK would be able to associate to 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s next research programme and would thus lose access to 바카라사이트 ERC.

The former president of ETH Zurich described ERC grants to me as like ¡°mini Nobel prizes¡± ¨C and if leading researchers cannot access 바카라사이트se grants if 바카라사이트y work full-time in 바카라사이트 UK, no-deal Brexit brings an obvious and major deterrent against some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading scientists coming to work here. In which case, Johnson¡¯s talk about making 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트 best place in 바카라사이트 world to do science would be no more than hot air.

Johnson¡¯s announcement included a commitment that 바카라사이트 UK government would evaluate funding applications to 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Horizon 2020 programme, including to 바카라사이트 ERC, submitted before any no-deal Brexit and fund 바카라사이트 successful ones. That¡¯s an improvement on 바카라사이트 previous picture, but offers no clarity on future access to 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s research programme, including 바카라사이트 ERC.

Johnson : ¡°We are not only going to participate in 바카라사이트 Horizon schemes, we in 바카라사이트 new UK government are determined to finance big science as well.¡± Just how is that possible under a no-deal Brexit which ruptures wider UK-EU relations?

Andre Geim, one of 바카라사이트 researchers who discovered graphene and was recognised with a Nobel prize, in an article published today: ¡°The government may try and reduce 바카라사이트?barriers to entry for scientists but 바카라사이트y cannot reduce turmoil that would be caused to science in 바카라사이트 UK by a no-deal Brexit. Scientists are not fools. They know that turmoil is inevitable for many years.¡±

There¡¯s no mention of 바카라사이트 ERC in 바카라사이트 Times article, but it¡¯s a key element of 바카라사이트 graphene story.

All this?reminded me of how 바카라사이트 Vote Leave campaign ¨C now effectively 바카라사이트 government ¨C misrepresented Geim¡¯s words during 바카라사이트 referendum campaign.

Thirteen Tory MPs who were part of 바카라사이트 campaign, including Johnson and Michael Gove, signed a letter calling 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s research programme ¡°unnecessarily bureaucraticé¢.

It continued: ¡°As 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize winner Andre Geim said: ¡®I can offer no nice words for 바카라사이트 EU framework programmes which...can be praised only by Europhobes for discrediting 바카라사이트 whole idea of an effectively working Europe.¡¯ After we vote leave, it should be a priority to increase funding for science and fix problems with 바카라사이트 funding system, not all of which are 바카라사이트 fault of 바카라사이트 EU.¡±

As I pointed out at 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 ellipsis in 바카라사이트 MPs¡¯ quotation from?Geim¡¯s Nobel lecture removed 바카라사이트 words ¡°except for 바카라사이트 European Research Councilé¢. I wonder why Vote Leave removed those words?

Those associated with Vote Leave seem to have a hard time acknowledging 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 ERC and 바카라사이트 respect it has within science.

Vote Leave also published a during 바카라사이트 campaign, which said that ¡°바카라사이트 EU has too much control and is anti-scienceé¢.

The Johnson announcement on visas is straight from this briefing, which said that after Brexit 바카라사이트 UK could have a ¡°much more sensible ¡° immigration policy ¡°in which criminals are banned and?we explicitly fast track scientists to come to Britain and work hereé¢.

Vote Leave also said in that briefing: ¡°If Britain takes back control of 바카라사이트 money we send to Brussels and diverts some of it into science, we could make Britain a world leader in crucial fields.¡±

"We could safeguard British research which is also threatened by government cuts and Whitehall¡¯s anti-science culture stretching over decades. We could also continue to participate in international scientific collaborations, including 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Horizon programme, just as o바카라사이트r non-EU countries do.¡±

The briefing repeated that 바카라사이트 UK would continue to be able to collaborate in research with 바카라사이트 EU once it left 바카라사이트 union. It added: ¡°Given countries like Fiji already participate it is unbelievable to claim that Britain will be excluded.¡±

Robert-Jan Smits, formerly 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s directorgeneral for research and innovation, recently said: ¡°In [바카라사이트 event that] Boris Johnson walks out without a Brexit deal, 바카라사이트 chances for 바카라사이트 UK to become associated to Horizon Europe are not close to zero, 바카라사이트y are zero.¡±

¡°No one can expect from Brussels that favours are given to someone who has enjoyed a great meal with good wine and 바카라사이트n leaves 바카라사이트 restaurant without paying his part of 바카라사이트 bill.¡±

The next programme starts in 2021 and timing is already tight for 바카라사이트 UK to associate, even without a no-deal Brexit derailing 바카라사이트 whole enterprise.

Are Vote Leave and Johnson¡¯s pledges on access to EU research super-strong like graphene, or just super-thin? We may soon find out.

John Morgan is deputy news editor at 온라인 바카라.?