Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Those inconvenient expert opinions on Brexit
Famously, Michael Gove declared during the 2016 referendum campaign that 'Britain has had enough of experts'.
What he meant of course was that as he was unable to answer perfectly reasonable questions about some of the misleading statements being put out by the leave campaign, he had had enough of experts proving him wrong all the time. It was a classic deflection response to awkward questioning.
Nevertheless those inconvenient experts continue to speak put on Brexit and the devastating impact it will have on the UK. The latest warning comes from World-leading scientists and mathematicians from across Europe, who tell us that a hard Brexit could undermine vital research within the UK.
The Independent reports that French biologist Jules Hoffmann, Dutch chemist Paul Crutzen and German biologist Christiane Nusslein-Volhard are among 29 Nobel Prize winning scientists and six winners of the prestigious Fields Medal warning that leaving the EU could establish barriers to scientific partnerships that have provided a massive boost for European research:
The call was reinforced by a survey at the UK’s biggest biomedical lab, the Francis Crick Institute, which found 97 per cent of its researchers believed a hard Brexit would be bad for British science. Half also expressed a desire to leave the UK due to Brexit.
Sir Paul Nurse, the institute’s director and one of the letter’s signees, said a hard Brexit “could cripple UK science and the government needs to sit up and listen”.
“The overwhelming negativity of scientists towards a hard Brexit should be a wake-up call to the country and the government,” he said.
“We need a deal that replaces the science funding lost because of Brexit, that preserves freedom of movement for talented scientists, and that makes them feel welcome in this country.”
Scientists have been vocal in their criticism of the government’s approach to leaving the EU, which they say will lose them millions in research funding and throw their projects into disarray.
Nobody expects Michael Gove to listen to such siren voices of course, but it would be nice if MPs, and in particular the leadership of the Labour Party sat up and took notice, so that we can have a people's vote on whatever deal Theresa May comes back with.
What he meant of course was that as he was unable to answer perfectly reasonable questions about some of the misleading statements being put out by the leave campaign, he had had enough of experts proving him wrong all the time. It was a classic deflection response to awkward questioning.
Nevertheless those inconvenient experts continue to speak put on Brexit and the devastating impact it will have on the UK. The latest warning comes from World-leading scientists and mathematicians from across Europe, who tell us that a hard Brexit could undermine vital research within the UK.
The Independent reports that French biologist Jules Hoffmann, Dutch chemist Paul Crutzen and German biologist Christiane Nusslein-Volhard are among 29 Nobel Prize winning scientists and six winners of the prestigious Fields Medal warning that leaving the EU could establish barriers to scientific partnerships that have provided a massive boost for European research:
The call was reinforced by a survey at the UK’s biggest biomedical lab, the Francis Crick Institute, which found 97 per cent of its researchers believed a hard Brexit would be bad for British science. Half also expressed a desire to leave the UK due to Brexit.
Sir Paul Nurse, the institute’s director and one of the letter’s signees, said a hard Brexit “could cripple UK science and the government needs to sit up and listen”.
“The overwhelming negativity of scientists towards a hard Brexit should be a wake-up call to the country and the government,” he said.
“We need a deal that replaces the science funding lost because of Brexit, that preserves freedom of movement for talented scientists, and that makes them feel welcome in this country.”
Scientists have been vocal in their criticism of the government’s approach to leaving the EU, which they say will lose them millions in research funding and throw their projects into disarray.
Nobody expects Michael Gove to listen to such siren voices of course, but it would be nice if MPs, and in particular the leadership of the Labour Party sat up and took notice, so that we can have a people's vote on whatever deal Theresa May comes back with.
