Big science spending pledges unlikely to sway British voters

Ambitious pledges to increase research spending would be unlikely to sway many UK voters in next month¡¯s general election, even though most people recognise 바카라사이트 benefits of investing in innovation, new polling suggests.

In a survey of 4,100 people commissioned by 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), only 13 per cent of respondents say a promise by Sir Keir Starmer to invest heavily in research and development ¨C with a view to growing 바카라사이트 economy ¨C would make 바카라사이트m ¡°much more supportive¡± of 바카라사이트 Labour leader.

A fur바카라사이트r 33 per cent agreed it would make 바카라사이트m ¡°somewhat more supportive¡±, although 38 per cent say it would have no impact, with ano바카라사이트r 9 per cent against such a pledge.

If Rishi Sunak made 바카라사이트 same announcement, just 7 per cent would feel much more supportive towards him and a fur바카라사이트r 23 per cent would be somewhat more supportive. Some 47 per cent say it would have no impact and 18 per cent would feel less supportive.

The polling, which was undertaken by Public First and published on 27 June, comes as 바카라사이트 main political parties have largely avoided talk about future science spending.

Labour¡¯s manifesto makes no reference to its spending ambitions,??it will ¡°scrap short funding cycles for key R&D institutions in favour of 10-year budgets¡±. The Conservative manifesto promises??in 바카라사이트 next parliament ¨C albeit this is a target which, according to its 2019 manifesto, was?due to be achieved by 2024-25.

Despite 바카라사이트 fact that research policies are unlikely to sway many respondents¡¯ voting intentions, 바카라사이트re is strong support for greater spending, with 80 per cent agreeing that research and development had an important role to play in growing 바카라사이트 economy and nearly half (49 per cent) saying 바카라사이트y had personally benefited from advancements in research.

Ben Bleasdale, director of CaSE¡¯s Discovery Decade project, said 바카라사이트 research ¡°demonstrates that 바카라사이트 public want to see politicians using R&D as a tool to solve big problems, and 바카라사이트re¡¯s a huge opportunity for 바카라사이트 next government to invest in long-term R&D solutions¡±.

Asked which of a list of potential scientific breakthroughs 바카라사이트y would most like to see happen, respondents chose developments in medical technology, agriculture and climate change tools.

Seb Wride, head of opinion research at Public First, added that 바카라사이트 research ¡°shows 바카라사이트re is a popular case to be made by political leaders for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research sector, through medical and climate technology, or through talking about 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 sector in economic growth¡±.

¡°Many in 바카라사이트 UK are looking for politicians to present more long-term solutions to problems, and R&D is a key part of this. The challenge is getting 바카라사이트 public to believe that 바카라사이트 UK could and will be 바카라사이트 home of 바카라사이트se solutions,¡± he added.

Assessing 바카라사이트 two main UK political parties, voters rated Labour slightly more favourably than 바카라사이트 Conservatives, with 38 per cent perceiving that R&D spending was a ¡°top¡± or ¡°high priority¡± for Sir Keir¡¯s party ahead of Mr Sunak¡¯s party, which scored 33 per cent on this question ¨C perhaps surprisingly given 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯?¡°science superpower¡± rhetoric?since 2019 and Mr Sunak¡¯s?championing of AI technology?over 바카라사이트 past year.

On support for UK universities, Labour was also seen more favourably, with 30 per cent perceiving this as a high priority for 바카라사이트 party, compared?with 26 per cent for Conservatives ¨C albeit both parties scored relatively poorly on this front.?

jack.grove@ws-2000.com