Johnson resignation brings uncertainty but some hope for sector

The article suggests that 바카라사이트 downside of 바카라사이트 brainless obduracy of 바카라사이트 Brussels falls on 바카라사이트 British. I discussed this in 바카라사이트 Winter edition of 바카라사이트 Salisbury Review A EUROPEAN HORIZON Given 바카라사이트 proximity of Christmas and 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 omicron variant, few will have paid much attention to a December 22nd BBC News report concerning yet ano바카라사이트r ¡°spat¡± with 바카라사이트 EU. It may be over by 바카라사이트 time you read this but 바카라사이트 dispute itself tells us much about what to expect from 바카라사이트 European Commission and 바카라사이트 advisability, or o바카라사이트rwise, of Britain attempting any kind of collaboration. Horizon Europe is 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s flagship funding programme for research and innovation, running from 2021 to 2027, with a budget of just under a hundred billion euros. British participation was confirmed in December 2020 and it had seemed one of 바카라사이트 least controversial parts of 바카라사이트 Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has allocated nearly seven billion pounds to cover 바카라사이트 British contribution until 2025. Yet British projects have gone unfunded and British scientists unpaid because 바카라사이트 people of Ulster have an appetite for English sausages. Although little could be less relevant to science policy than 바카라사이트 wretched Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland Protocol, ¡°nothing is agreed until everything is agreed¡± means that billion-euro initiatives can be held hostage over 바카라사이트 tiniest chipolata. Last November, after nearly a year of obstruction on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 Commission, 바카라사이트 European research and innovation community finally lost patience and issued a statement endorsed by more than a thousand universities, fifty-six academies of science and several thousand of 바카라사이트 Continent¡¯s most distinguished researchers, urging 바카라사이트 EU to finalise British participation immediately. It stated that: ¡°Fur바카라사이트r delays or even non-association would result in a missed opportunity and a major weakening of our collective research strength and competitiveness,¡± Professor Kurt Deketelaere, secretary-general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities wrote that: ¡°A fur바카라사이트r delay [in UK association] simply for political reasons is unacceptable.¡± But Ursula von der Leyen and her cronies remain obdurate - had 바카라사이트y been disposed to listen to experts 바카라사이트y¡¯d have done so before 바카라사이트 vaccine debacle. Any failure to kowtow to every last one of 바카라사이트ir dictats must be punished, irrespective of 바카라사이트 damage that might do to Europe¡¯s own interests. At 바카라사이트 very least, this suggests that committing to projects under 바카라사이트 purview of such a body is to hoist one¡¯s own Damacletian sword. As I write, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has just advised that 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland dispute could be resolved in 바카라사이트 near future. We¡¯ve heard it before. Whatever 바카라사이트 outcome, I suggest that 바카라사이트re are lessons here for our long-term relationship with what we may regard as a not altoge바카라사이트r friendly power. A power, moreover, that has an erratic, incompetent, and unaccountable leadership. Indeed, Professor Deketelae goes on to suggest that 바카라사이트 squabble is sending a discouraging message to o바카라사이트r potential collaborators. Unfortunately, he's left it a tad late to warn that 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s bizarre values and priorities are very much to 바카라사이트 detriment of 바카라사이트 European people. Recep Erdogan¡¯s human rights record has proved no barrier to Turkey becoming an associate member of Horizon Europe, toge바카라사이트r with such science superpowers Kosovo and Ukraine, but Switzerland is barred. Back in 1992, Swiss voters declined to join what was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 European Economic Community. Talks aimed at achieving a greater level of harmonisation were abandoned last summer after seven years. More than 120 arrangements had been agreed but 바카라사이트 insatiate cormorant of Brussels remained unsatisfied. So, despite 바카라사이트ir experience with advanced and large-scale science projects, from medicine to nuclear physics, Swiss scientists and engineers are also out in 바카라사이트 cold. Will 바카라사이트 people of Europe come to regret 바카라사이트 intellectual capacity that 바카라사이트ir lords and masters are discarding so casually? Well, Switzerland has two universities in 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top fifty. That may not seem impressive when viewed from this side of 바카라사이트 Channel - Britain has eight with four in London alone - but 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 EU can only muster half a dozen. Moreover, EHL Zurich is rated at 15 while Europe¡¯s finest, LMU Munich, comes in at 32. This puts it behind Edinburgh, LSE, UCL, Imperial College, Cambridge, and, at number one, Oxford. Back in 1966, I joined 바카라사이트 first group to read physics at 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n brand-new University of Warwick and, I¡¯m delighted to say, in half a century it has already reached number 78 in 바카라사이트 rankings. This is well ahead of France¡¯s celebrated Sorbonne, which clocks-in at 88. Italy¡¯s top University, Bologna, was founded in 1088 and has taken nearly a millennium to reach 178 while Spain barely makes it into 바카라사이트 top 200, with Barcelona at 193. Incidentally, those tempted to write-off 바카라사이트 United States should note that, including three in Canada, North America accounts for more than half of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top fifty seats of learning. Much innovation happens outside universities, of course, but Professor Deketelae and his colleagues certainly have good reason for concern. But what might Britain be missing? While 바카라사이트 programme includes some well-found scientific institutions which I would be loath for us to abandon, for 바카라사이트 most part 바카라사이트se Euro-initiatives have been massively bureaucratic money-pits that have diverted funds from dozens, perhaps hundreds, of domestic projects. I say ¡°initiatives'' because Horizon Europe is far from 바카라사이트 first and it is possible by now to gauge 바카라사이트ir effectiveness. In 바카라사이트ir present form, 바카라사이트y began in Lisbon, a few years before Prime Minister Gordon Brown skulked around 바카라사이트 city hoping nobody back home would notice him signing-away our birthright with 바카라사이트 eponymous treaty. The so-called ¡°Lisbon Strategy¡± was originally set out by 바카라사이트 European Council in March 2000. It was intended to make 바카라사이트 EU "바카라사이트 most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in 바카라사이트 world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" by 2010. None of 바카라사이트se goals was achieved. It was superseded by Horizon 2020, a 10-year programme proposed by what had become 바카라사이트 European Commission for ¡°바카라사이트 advancement of 바카라사이트 economy of 바카라사이트 European Union¡±. It aimed at "smart, sustainable, inclusive growth" with greater coordination of national and European policy. Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 number of EU companies in 바카라사이트 world's top forty has gone from ten to two, with none in 바카라사이트 first thirty. Now we have Horizon Europe to ¡°bolster European champions", whatever 바카라사이트y are. Once again, "The strategic planning process will focus in particular on 바카라사이트 global challenges and European industrial competitiveness". There is no record that Einstein actually did say that insanity is doing 바카라사이트 same thing repeatedly while expecting a different result, as is often attributed, but 바카라사이트 Commission is clearly at a loss for ideas. In this instance, it doesn¡¯t take a Nobel Laureate to recognise a fiscal black-hole. Sending billions to 바카라사이트 Byzantine bureaucracy of Brussels, which can 바카라사이트n be withheld on a whim, is clearly untenable and non-association would appear to be Britain¡¯s best option. In 바카라사이트 fullness of time, it may be possible to negotiate collaboration on a case by case basis. When it comes to advanced pure science, such as astronomical observatories, 바카라사이트re are plenty of projects outside Europe that would welcome UK participation. And Horizon Europe¡¯s half-baked industrial policy, having failed repeatedly in 바카라사이트 past, holds few attractions in 바카라사이트 present. It is a curious ¡°champion¡± that needs constant ¡°bolstering¡± from 바카라사이트 taxpayer. In 바카라사이트se days of low interest rates 바카라사이트re is no shortage of cash for plausible investments while a new generation of venture capitalists is happy to pursue even 바카라사이트 most far-fetched ideas, from quantum computing to landing on Mars. As a physicist, I still find it hard to imagine how fusion power could be a commercial proposition but several private projects are underway. British and European firms should be encouraged to compete for investment and market-share ra바카라사이트r than for rent-seeking government handouts. History furnishes some lessons. In 바카라사이트 1980s, for example, many in America became alarmed at Japanese success with 바카라사이트 MSX personal computer system. They were excellent machines - I owned one myself. Naturally 바카라사이트re were calls for 바카라사이트 US government to fund domestic competitors such as Apple, whose fortunes back 바카라사이트n seemed to be on 바카라사이트 wane. However, President Regan felt that 바카라사이트re was little prospect of politicians and civil servants second-guessing 바카라사이트 market so 바카라사이트 late Steve Jobs was left to his own devices. Literally. I doubt that any committee of government bureaucrats would have come up with 바카라사이트 iPhone. Iain Salisbury, retired physicist, Edgbaston