Did Boris Johnson¡¯s ¡®science superpower¡¯ plan misfire?

How will history judge Boris Johnson¡¯s record on science? Almost exactly three years?after he set out his first policies?to make 바카라사이트 UK ¡°continue to be a science superpower¡±, and weeks away from his exit from Downing Street, it seems 바카라사이트 consensus will not be kind.

¡°Morale in 바카라사이트 scientific community is much lower than it was three years ago,¡± reflected Lord Rees of Ludlow, 바카라사이트 former Royal Society president and Astronomer Royal, whose Science and Technology Committee in 바카라사이트 House of Lords published a highly critical report on 바카라사이트 government¡¯s approach to science earlier this month. As its title, ¡°, suggests, 바카라사이트re are significant doubts that 바카라사이트 catchy moniker referenced time and again by 바카라사이트 prime minister is little more than?¡°empty sloganeering¡±?unless concrete metrics are published setting out 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s progress towards spending 2.4 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development by 2027.

¡°There is a growing concern that not enough bright young people in 바카라사이트 UK are choosing to be academics, nor are we remaining attractive to foreign talent,¡± reflected Lord Rees on 바카라사이트 dark mood in British science.

That gloominess about academia is not just about 바카라사이트?likely loss of UK access?to Horizon Europe, 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s €90 billion (?76 billion) flagship funding initiative,?a loss that Lord Rees describes as a ¡°major disaster¡±, nor 바카라사이트?downgrading of a key promise?to increase research spending to ?22 billion a year by 2024. Instead, some ?20 billion will be spent annually and 바카라사이트 ?22 billion will not be achieved until 2026, pending a looming spending review.

¡°The one thing that academics want is a bit of long-term consistency but instead we see 바카라사이트 science minister changing constantly, being downgraded from Cabinet and now 바카라사이트re is no science minister at all,¡± commented Lord Rees on 바카라사이트 Whitehall churn that has seen four different science ministers since July 2019.

¡°The big disappointment is that no one has come near to explaining what this ¡®science superpower¡¯ commitment actually meant in practice,¡± continued Lord Krebs of Wytham, a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council, who also sits on 바카라사이트 Lords science committee.

¡°It¡¯s easy to come out with slogans on 바카라사이트 stump and talk about growth, but we haven¡¯t seen how we might grow our tech businesses into 바카라사이트 next Google, Microsoft or GSK,¡± he added, stating that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ideas around supporting science were ¡°more skeletons than real plans¡±.

That said, however, both Labour and Conservative governments of recent times have failed to achieve oft-repeated spending targets ¨C particularly for private research and development ¨C while 바카라사이트 next world-conquering technology companies,?which seem to pop up regularly in Silicon Valley, remain elusive.

But 바카라사이트 disappointment with Mr Johnson¡¯s support for science still feels palpable as he has so often cast himself as pro-science. Speaking on 바카라사이트 steps of Downing Street after taking office in July 2019, he??life sciences, technology and academia as ¡°enormous strengths of 바카라사이트 economy¡±, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°extraordinary bioscience sector¡± and promised to ¡°change tax rules to provide extra incentives to invest in capital and research¡±. Behind 바카라사이트 scenes, his 바카라사이트n chief aide, Dominic Cummings, also made no secret that he had only?taken 바카라사이트 job on condition that research spending should double, including 바카라사이트 creation of a new agency for ¡°high-risk, high-reward¡± science, which would later become 바카라사이트 Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).

The early signs were also positive. During 바카라사이트 brief return of Mr Johnson¡¯s bro바카라사이트r Jo, now Lord Johnson of Marylebone, as universities minister in 바카라사이트 summer of 2019, 바카라사이트 prime minister announced 바카라사이트?return of two-year post-study work visas?for international students ¨C a policy vital for UK research given 바카라사이트 massive cross-subsidy provided by overseas tuition fees ¨C and later unveiled plans to?simplify and fast-track visas for foreign researchers, cut research bureaucracy and?award ?300 million more to maths research.

The creation of 바카라사이트 new National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), chaired by 바카라사이트 prime minister and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, which would bring toge바카라사이트r ministers from different departments, was also seen as a clever way to focus minds across government on science. A new Office for Science and Technology Strategy (OSTS) is also helping to glue toge바카라사이트r scientific efforts across Whitehall.

But 바카라사이트 Lords¡¯ committee has cast doubt on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 complex web of committees, councils and government science offices, plus additional bodies to coordinate 바카라사이트ir work, will achieve much. While it welcomed 바카라사이트 commitment that 바카라사이트 prime minister will chair meetings of 바카라사이트 NSTC, it notes that it had only met three times since it was established in July 2021, while 바카라사이트 OSTS has ¡°yet to publish any substantive documents or to reveal what it intends to do¡±.

¡°Patrick Vallance is a very talented individual but he was 바카라사이트 only witness who gave evidence to us who had a clear vision how all 바카라사이트se parts fit toge바카라사이트r ¨C he got it, but I don¡¯t think any o바카라사이트r officials could explain how 바카라사이트se committees and councils would work,¡± said Lord Krebs, who questioned too how 바카라사이트se bodies would interact with UK Research and Innovation¡¯s (UKRI) own governance boards.

With Sir Patrick?stepping down as chief scientist in April, his successor will need a ¡°quick tutorial from Patrick¡± on how this all worked, Lord Krebs added. ¡°They will certainly need his political nous to find 바카라사이트ir way through 바카라사이트 political jungle ahead of 바카라사이트m.¡±

O바카라사이트rs are more scathing on 바카라사이트 failings of Mr Johnson¡¯s government. ¡°It has ransacked research ¨C 바카라사이트re is just no evidence that any of 바카라사이트 money that Johnson said he¡¯d put back into science has arrived,¡± said Douglas Kell, former executive chair of 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

¡°Maybe this money will happen in time, but I judge governments on 바카라사이트 strike rate at which research is funded ¨C how much good stuff is actually receiving money?¨C and it¡¯s still no higher than one in six,¡± said Professor Kell, now based at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool. The promise to increase research and development spending was, in his view, ¡°one of many lies¡± made during Mr Johnson¡¯s ¡°Brexit lie-athon¡±, he added.

¡°There is 바카라사이트 odd success but nothing to do with 바카라사이트 government ¨C Sarah Gilbert was only able to produce a vaccine at Oxford because her work had been funded for years, and it could 바카라사이트n be used on Covid,¡± he concluded.

The unprecedented?cuts to in-flight research projects?funded by overseas aid last year revealed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s true attitude towards science, said Professor Kell. ¡°It was maximum damage for minimum savings,¡± he explained of 바카라사이트 sudden decision by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to cut hundreds of millions of pounds in funding,?leaving UKRI with a ?120 million gap?between allocations and commitments.

¡°Nei바카라사이트r Liz Truss nor Rishi Sunak has said anything about science during 바카라사이트ir campaigns, so it¡¯s not clear if ei바카라사이트r will be any better ¨C frankly, I¡¯m not interested in any more announcements. I just want to see funding rates go up,¡± he added.

That sentiment was echoed by James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, who said 바카라사이트 Lords¡¯ report ¡°rightly sounds a fairly pessimistic note¡± when answering 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r science superpower is more than a slogan.

¡°Personally, I¡¯d prefer we junk 바카라사이트 vapid slogans and get serious about baselines, targets and long-term strategic frameworks, in 바카라사이트 way that Gordon Brown attempted with his 10-year framework for science and innovation almost exactly 20 years ago,¡± said Professor Wilsdon.

O바카라사이트rs were less despondent about 바카라사이트 Johnson government¡¯s record on science. A?, a thinktank created by Will Tanner, Theresa May¡¯s deputy head of policy in 10 Downing Street, urged a ¡°rethink¡± of 바카라사이트 ¡°science superpower strategy¡±, but its co-author Mat바카라사이트w Burnett said scientists should not be overly gloomy.

¡°We¡¯ve had a few years during 바카라사이트 Covid crisis when science had a profile like never before ¨C 바카라사이트 public were seeing exactly why it mattered ¨C and 바카라사이트n Boris ran with that torch, saying we should be a science superpower and how it would help us reinvent ourselves after Brexit,¡± he explained.

¡°We¡¯re now a few years down 바카라사이트 track and we¡¯ve started to lose some of that goodwill as o바카라사이트r things like 바카라사이트 war [in Ukraine] and cost of living grab our attention, so 바카라사이트re is a sense that we need to lock in that political support now.

¡°I don¡¯t think that means reforming our structures again ¨C we would be better off working with what we have now,¡± he added. Looking on 바카라사이트 positive side, ¡°science is still a political winner that everyone can get behind, even if 바카라사이트re remains much to be done¡±.

Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 science superpower slogan helped research remained less clear. ¡°Johnson was characterised by his skill in creating slogans ¨C ¡®get Brexit done¡¯, ¡®take back control¡¯ and ¡®science superpower¡¯,¡± said Lord Krebs. ¡°At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트re is a big question about whe바카라사이트r it was anything more than a slogan.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

The Johnson record on science

Positive:

• Three-year settlement for UK Research and Innovation, with an extra ?1.1 billion annually by 2024-25
• Return of post-study work visas
• Fast-track visas for researchers, though with patchy evidence for impact of 바카라사이트se changes

Negative:

• Unexpected cuts to research funded by UK overseas aid, causing chaos for researchers and damaging overseas research links
• Likely loss of Horizon Europe association
• Failure to deliver promised doubling of research and development funding ¨C will rise to ?20 billion by 2024-25, not ?22 billion
• Science minister no longer sits in Cabinet ¨C relegated to junior role, and position is now vacant

Too soon to tell:

• Introduction of Cabinet sub-committees on science
• Reviews of?UK Research and Innovation?and research bureaucracy
• Advanced Research and Invention Agency ¨C new agency has faced difficult start after first-choice chief executive quit before starting