THEY all agree. British politicians of every hue speak of the
overwhelming importance of science, however violently they may argue on other
matters. Hosting a party at 10 Downing Street this week to 鈥渃elebrate the
excellence of UK Science, Engineering and Technology鈥�, the Prime Minister made
friends of many of Britain鈥檚 top scientists by praising the excellence of their
endeavours and their vital role in wealth creation. At a lunch a few weeks
earlier, the Labour leader Tony Blair made virtually identical noises to guests
gathered by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. The Liberal
Democrats, too, are insistent about science鈥檚 role in keeping Britain among the
advanced nations.
This unaccustomed harmony extends even to a report from the Save British
Science lobby group that tells 鈥渢he next UK government鈥� how it should run
science and technology. SBS is best known for revealing the bad news that lies
hidden deep inside government announcements. But now it too finds nothing to
quarrel with in the fundamental principles of government and opposition parties
alike.
So everything is fine鈥攂ut for one thing. No one will put their money where
their mouth is. As SBS never tires of pointing out, Britain is the only major
OECD nation that is now investing less in research and development, as a
percentage of GDP, than it was in 1981. Ask for this to be put right and
politicians of every colour twitch, and turn evasive. If they cannot find an
excuse to flee the room, they begin mumbling that 鈥渢he Treasury always wants so
much hard evidence of return on investment鈥� or 鈥渨e can鈥檛 make funding
commitments before entering office鈥�.
Advertisement
Come on ladies and gentlemen, if you agree about so much, then match your
words. Why not, as SBS suggests, make Britain into 鈥渢he laboratory of Europe鈥�?
With the right investment, Britain could still provide a nucleus 鈥渁round which
to create a cradle of discovery and innovation鈥�, as SBS puts it.
But only if that decision is made soon. Something else that all politicians
seem to share is the illusion that Britain鈥檚 basic science is immensely strong
and will always remain so. The days when Britain won far more than its share of
Nobel prizes are long gone. Success in science depends on an extended education,
and inspiration from a brilliant teacher: it is well known that Nobel prizes
tend to run in laboratories. In Britain, the chain of success is nearly
broken.
Funding for a revival needs to come soon. So before the general election
(which cannot be much more than a year off), why can鈥檛 at least one party
distinguish itself with a promise to boost the science base? Let鈥檚 see some real
commitment to back up the welcome words.
