Sir Patrick Vallance joins Labour government as science minister

Sir Patrick Vallance, who served as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s chief scientific adviser during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, is joining 바카라사이트 new Labour government as science minister.

He will receive a peerage, enabling him to sit in 바카라사이트 House of Lords as a minister, having backed Labour¡¯s plans for Great British Energy, a publicly owned company?that would be charged with driving 바카라사이트 net zero agenda, during 바카라사이트 election campaign.

The appointment of Sir Patrick, who joins newly appointed science secretary Peter Kyle in 바카라사이트 Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, is likely to be warmly welcomed by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research sector.

At 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, Sir Patrick became a household name thanks to regular appearances at televised Downing Street press conferences.

He later said it was ¡°disappointing¡± that Covid restrictions were not followed in Downing Street under Boris Johnson¡¯s premiership, and stepped down as chief scientific adviser at 바카라사이트 end of his five-year term in April 2023.

Prior to taking on 바카라사이트 advisory post, Sir Patrick was president of research and development at GlaxoSmithKline, and before that he was professor of medicine and head of 바카라사이트 Division of Medicine at UCL, with his expertise lying in diseases of blood vessels and endo바카라사이트lial biology.

Sir Patrick will bring much-needed scientific expertise and policy clout at a time when new prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to look to 바카라사이트 research sector to help drive much-needed economic growth.

And 바카라사이트 appointment of a political outsider to ministerial office brings back memories of Gordon Brown¡¯s ¡°government of all 바카라사이트 talents¡±, with Sir Keir also appointing as prisons minister James Timpson, chief executive of 바카라사이트 family-owned service retailer and chair since 2016 of 바카라사이트 Prison Reform Trust.

, Joe Marshall, chief executive of 바카라사이트 National Centre for Universities and Business, hailed ¡°a government of many talents and experience¡±.

¡°Brilliant to see Sir Patrick Vallance back inside and championing science at 바카라사이트 heart of government. Unfinished business realising 바카라사이트 ambitions of 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Framework,¡± Dr Marshall posted.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com