Couldn’t you have just told him on the sofa? Andy Burnham’s Gogglebox pal Steve Rotherham signs letter – along with TV’s Brian Cox – demanding PM save Jodrell Bank observatory
Steve Rotherham, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has joined physicist Brian Cox and other scientists in urging Chancellor John Healey to halt proposed science funding cuts. Their letter warns that the reductions could weaken UK research and threaten sites including Jodrell Bank, as the Government has pledged to make Britain an “innovation nation”.
The cuts would affect the Science and Technology Facilities Council, with reductions of 30 per cent reportedly planned for nuclear science, particle physics and astronomy. The signatories say hundreds of jobs could be at risk and are asking for funding in the Budget while the cuts undergo a full economic impact assessment. Jodrell Bank is home to the Lovell telescope, the UK’s largest, which has stood in Cheshire since 1957.
In short
- Steve Rotherham and Brian Cox oppose proposed science funding cuts.
- The reductions include a reported 30 per cent cut to three fields.
- Signatories say Jodrell Bank and hundreds of jobs may be at risk.
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The case for
Supporters of the letter argue that deep cuts to research funding could cost skilled jobs, weaken Britain’s scientific capabilities and put major facilities such as Jodrell Bank at risk. They say protecting funding while the cuts receive a full economic assessment would help the Government meet its ambition to make Britain an innovation nation.
The case against
Those favouring the cuts could argue that public funds are limited and must be weighed across competing priorities, so science programmes should demonstrate their economic and public value. They may also contend that reducing or redirecting some funding can improve efficiency and focus resources on research with the strongest prospects, provided the consequences for jobs and facilities are properly assessed.
Explained simply
The Science and Technology Facilities Council funds research and facilities in areas including astronomy, particle physics and nuclear science. Jodrell Bank, in Cheshire, is a major UK astronomy site and home to the Lovell telescope, which has operated since 1957.
The council’s funding supports research teams and jobs as well as equipment and observatories. Decisions about its budget therefore affect scientists and the places where they work, including facilities used by researchers across the UK.
The Government has said it wants Britain to be an “innovation nation”, linking research and new ideas with economic growth. The debate is about how that ambition should be matched by public funding, and how proposed changes might affect research and jobs.