John Baron MP: EU not good for British science

MP says Brexit could unshackle scientists

Last week a number of scientists wrote in support of our EU membership. However, Britain’s net contribution to the EU is around £10bn each year – four times the UK’s science budget. Leaving the EU would enable Britain not only to match science funding, but also to increase it.

Furthermore, the EU often adopts stances against new scientific advances – such as against stem cell research. The current President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, also axed the role of the President’s Chief Scientific Advisor in 2014, and slashed the amount of EU spending on science by €2bn. Moreover, the EU’s immigration rules compel Britain to prioritise unskilled workers over scientists and students from outside the EU – this is not good for science.

John said,

“The EU has a mixed track record on science, and in some fields it has proven to be a restraining influence. Leaving the EU will unshackle UK scientists and our scientific communities, both in industry and in academia, and enable them to remain at the cutting-edge of their professions.”

“I do not believe leaving the EU should prevent British science from collaborating with European projects – after all, CERN is based in Switzerland, which is not an EU member.”