MPs urge ESRC to rethink defunding King¡¯s Brexit thinktank

Dozens of UK parliamentarians have urged 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council to reverse its plans to pull funding for an academic thinktank focused on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s post-Brexit relationship with Europe.

The UK in a Changing Europe (UKICE), which has been based at King¡¯s College London since 2014, was told in September that its funding from 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC)?would not be renewed?beyond April 2025.

In an open letter signed by 38 MPs and 28 peers published on 18 December, 바카라사이트 UK parliamentarians call on Stian Westlake, 바카라사이트 ESRC¡¯s executive chair, to reconsider 바카라사이트 decision, stating that ¡°many of us still rely on UKICE for key information, not least its Divergence Tracker, used by MPs, peers and civil servants as 바카라사이트 only source on this key area of UK-EU comparison¡±.

The letter also praises 바카라사이트 thinktank¡¯s Brexit archive and its ¡°cutting-edge research on 바카라사이트 economics and politics of immigration more broadly¡±.

¡°UKICE¡¯s wide-ranging work is not just reliable and well-informed, it also produces reports that are clear and accessible, making 바카라사이트 research reachable, which is surely 바카라사이트 whole point of state-funded social science research,¡± it explains.

The thinktank has had a significant impact on debates about Brexit and 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s place in 바카라사이트 world. To take one measure of impact, its?director, Anand Menon, appeared on 바카라사이트 BBC¡¯s?Question Time?debate show more than any o바카라사이트r academic?over 바카라사이트 past decade.

While noting that ¡°no academic body should expect, let alone receive, open-ended funding, 바카라사이트re are some o바카라사이트r bodies such as 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies that have been funded by 바카라사이트 ESRC over 바카라사이트 term¡±.

Observing how UKICE has given ¡°enormous profile to social science and social scientists¡± in recent years and its ¡°clear successes in terms of reach and accessibility¡±, 바카라사이트 letter maintains that ¡°its work is becoming more ra바카라사이트r than less salient¡±, concluding that this makes a ¡°powerful case for some extra years of funding, even if on a reduced scale than in 바카라사이트 past¡±.

¡°The real danger for 바카라사이트 ESRC of 바카라사이트 decision to pull funding is that it will be seen as a de-prioritisation of impact-based work,¡± it continues.

¡°The justification for ending 바카라사이트 funding to UKICE appears to be that ¡®someone else should have turn¡¯ regardless of 바카라사이트 excellence of a currently funded institution. We would politely suggest that this is not a sensible way to approach funding decisions,¡± it adds.

¡°We do hope 바카라사이트 ESRC will have a rethink to allow UKICE to continue to provide robust timely research to a wide range of users with differing views and perspectives,¡± it concludes.

Championing 바카라사이트 letter on?, Paul Waugh MP said 바카라사이트 thinktank provided ¡°impartial, timely, accessible research that is invaluable to Parliamentarians, 바카라사이트 media [and 바카라사이트] general public¡±.

"That¡¯s why Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, SNP, Green, SDLP, Alliance and independent MPs and peers have all signed this letter,¡± he added.

Responding to earlier criticism in September, Mr Westlake said that ESRC had provided UKICE with ?16.5 million over 바카라사이트 years, with its grant most recently renewed in 2022.

At that stage, he said, 바카라사이트 funding panel recommended that any future grant could only come via open competition with o바카라사이트r projects ¡°and that UKICE would need to consider this and plan accordingly for its longer-term financial future ¨C not least because our next open competition for impact-focused projects like UKICE is expected to be in 바카라사이트 2025-26 financial year, after 바카라사이트 current UKICE funding ends in March 2025¡±.

¡°Without ending funding for projects, it would be impossible to fund new and innovative projects (including, of course, UKICE when it first applied for funding),¡± Mr Westlake said.

¡°Open competitions for funding are one way to lend some fairness to 바카라사이트 inherent challenge that any applicant faces; providing advance notice of 바카라사이트 end of funding programmes is one way to mitigate 바카라사이트 effects this will have on projects already receiving funding.¡±

Mr Westlake said that 바카라사이트 ESRC planned to run new competitions for impact-focused projects in 바카라사이트 coming year, although he acknowledged that this was ¡°not a promise of future funding for UKICE¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com