The science community has reacted with dismay after Rishi Sunak delayed the decision on whether Britain should rejoin the EU’s €95.5 billion Horizon science programme until after the summer holidays.
Academics and researchers had hoped Sunak would make a decision before the House of Commons takes its break on Thursday, but one government insider said: “There are no plans to say anything this week. I’d be surprised if there was anything over the summer.”
The UK was excluded from the £85 billion scheme in a tit-for-tat retaliation over post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland in 2020.
Sunak is understood to have concerns over the “value for money” of rejoining and is still considering a UK-based alternative to the collaboration scheme known as Pioneer.
But Sir Patrick, who played a central part in the handling of the Covid pandemic by Boris Johnson’s government, said it “isn’t sensible” to build a domestic scheme when a Europe-wide version is “ready for us to join”.
The top scientist, asked whether Britain being outside of Horizon caused him frustration during his time as chief scientific adviser, said: “It caused me frustration inside (government), and it caused me pain and frustration outside.
“It is absolutely clear. A system like Horizon that allowed great collaboration right the way across Europe is now geopolitically important.
“China is in ascendancy in science and technology. America has obviously been doing great stuff but it has also become a little bit more protectionist.
“And we have suddenly cut ourselves off from this system. It is damaging to the EU and it is damaging to the UK.”
Britain has already lost out on two years of a programme that runs from 2021 to 2027, with UK officials now talking about the possibility of joining in 2024 — three years late.
European Movement chair Mike Galsworthy said: “For Sunak to delay again is utterly non-sensical.
“The UK science community are dismayed and furious. The UK and EU agreed the Windor Framework in February 2023 and our Science Minister kept telling us that this is what was holding Horizon Europe association up.
“Well, 19 weeks later and after several skipped deadlines, it looks like Sunak is now kicking the can again, this time until September. Why? Government says because it has to make sure the deal works for UK taxpayers – but I’ve been told that UK and EU officials have already agreed it and the Treasury has already signed it off, so that negates that argument.
“It is bizarre. It feels like wanton damage of UK science either out of ideology or incompetence.”
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