Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to find a way to save the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire after UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said in July that the site would not be prioritised for further funding once its current agreement ends in March 2028. Speaking in the House of Commons after being pressed by Congleton MP Sarah Russell, Burnham said Jodrell Bank was both a "heritage asset" and a "research asset" for the country and promised to hold a meeting with local MPs to address the funding gap.

The Lovell Telescope, the world's third-largest steerable radio telescope, has stood at the site since 1957 and is part of the e-Merlin array run by the University of Manchester. UKRI defended its decision as the outcome of "a comprehensive, evidence-based prioritisation process", but scientists have called it "heartbreaking" and "scientifically misguided", and more than 150 public figures — including Sir Brian May, Johnny Marr, Tim Peake and Brian Cox — have signed a letter urging the government to reverse it. Without alternative funding, all scientific observations at Jodrell Bank are expected to cease on 1 April 2028.