Vote for Science

With only hours left now until voters head to the polls, how will the outcome of the election influence the UK’s scientific community?

The economic crisis has threatened many areas of government spending, and whoever wins the keys to number 10 is going to have to make unpopular decisions about where to cut government spending. But how will the science budget be affected, and what priority do the three main parties place on research funding as both a key to economic recovery, and as an academic necessity? A brief trawl through the three main parties’ manifestos reveals a little about what to expect from them regarding the future of science (and particularly science funding) in the UK.

All three of the main parties acknowledge the importance of investment in science as a tool to promote economic growth. Labour argues that during its tenure, investment in science and research has doubled in real terms, and that under a continued Labour government, science would remain a priority. A great deal of emphasis is placed on converting research into innovation; targeting science funding according to its applicability to business. Conservative science policy is similarly business-focused, featuring promises to create more high-tech jobs and joint university-business R&D institutes. The Liberal Democrats science policy diverges from the other two parties, with commitments to increase the number of scientists by “tackling the gender gap at all levels of scientific study”, and to open up public access to all state-funded research.

How useful is it to tie the value of science directly to business? Undoubtedly a healthy R&D environment can only aid economic growth, so perhaps in a recession is appropriate to channel research funds towards business relevant science. However, putting aside the observation that science seems to be the only academic pursuit that has to constantly justify its usefulness, narrowing scientific investment into just what is immediately applicable, may be somewhat short sighted. Often the impact of “blue skies research” will only emerge years later (see for example green fluorescent protein, originally a mere biological curio when discovered in the 1960s, now an indispensable, and Nobel Prize winning tool of molecular biology).

Neither Labour nor the Conservatives makes any mention of this issue directly in their manifestos; i.e. how would the science budget, whatever its eventual magnitude, be divided up between the business- and interest- driven research. A little indication was given in interviews with the Guardian newspaper, in which the Labour Business Minister Pat McFadden (note not the Science Minster Lord Drayson), said Labour would continue to support “curiosity driven research”. The Conservative Science and Innovation spokesman, Adam Afriyie, went somewhat further by stating his party’s intention to postpone the government’s Research Excellence Framework. This is a controversial system, whereby funding for universities is linked to research impact, so Conservative plans to review it could offer some defence for low impact disciplines. The Liberal Democrats, in stating in their Manifesto that research funding decisions would be “made on the basis of peer review not Whitehall interference”, go further still, indicating the party’s commitment to the independence of science from politics. This sentiment is echoed in a pledge to amend the Ministerial Code in order to prevent government from mistreating scientific advisors and protect academic freedoms. These changes would help to prevent repetition of the scandal that arose over the sacking of Professor David Nutt in October last year. The Liberal Democrats also support of scientists’ stances on issues such as libel reform and alternative medicines.

However when it comes down to the actual spending commitments to science, there is little difference between the three main parties. All have agreed to maintain the ring-fenced science budget, meaning that once money has been allocated to science, it cannot be reassigned to different areas. However, given the economic situation the UK faces, none are prepared to commit to an increase in science investment, and so whatever the outcome on Friday morning, the UK scientific community can expect some frugal times to come.

Useful links:
http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Manifesto
http://www2.labour.org.uk/uploads/TheLabourPartyManifesto-2010.pdf
http://www.libdems.org.uk/our_manifesto.aspx
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science