Where does Theresa May stand on science and engineering?
29 Aug 2016 by Evoluted New Media
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks in British politics since the result of the EU referendum two months ago. The country voted to leave, David Cameron resigned, and Theresa May is our new Prime Minister. But will she be a pro-science Prime Minister?
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks in British politics since the result of the EU referendum two months ago. The country voted to leave, David Cameron resigned, and Theresa May is our new Prime Minister. But will she be a pro-science Prime Minister?
Despite much of the media’s Margaret Thatcher comparisons, she does not have the matching science background, but instead studied geography at Oxford University before going on to work at the Bank of England. She became an MP in 1997, joined the shadow cabinet in 1999, and was appointed Home Secretary in 2010 – a role in which she has on occasion clashed with the scientific community.In 2013 she announced the banning of the plant stimulant khat, despite an Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) report finding there was “insufficient evidence” that khat caused health problems. Then in 2015 she introduced the Psychoactive Substances Act, sweepingly banning the sale of all psychoactive drugs, in opposition to the recommendations of many experts. However, this time she engaged with the scientific evidence presented to her, and in a letter to the ACMD chair outlined the reasons for why some of their recommendations may have been scientifically valid, but were not politically viable.
Her immigration policies have also affected the scientific sector. She introduced a £35k earning threshold for non-EU migrants wanting to settle in the UK, after working here for 5 years – restricting the abilities of many businesses that require highly skilled workers, such as engineers, to recruit enough long term workers. Although professions on the Home Office’s ‘shortage occupation’ list, including PhD level jobs, are temporarily exempt from the restriction.
May also attempted to introduce legislation to restrict international student visas, forcing these students to return home immediately after graduation, as she claimed “too many students who originally came here for short courses have been staying for years”. The proposals were eventually scrapped by the Government following criticism from scientists and organisations, including CaSE. Though she was a quiet Remain advocate in the EU referendum, her premiership will be defined by her post-Brexit vision. She has described British access to the EU single market for goods and services as a “priority”, but has also reiterated the need to “regain more control” of immigration to the UK from Europe. She has also stated that the ability of EU nationals currently residing in the UK to remain here should be considered as part of the negotiations with the EU.
Due to her ministerial briefs, Theresa May has not been a prominent advocate of investment in science and engineering or education, nor has she outlined her key policy positions in these areas. Hence, there are a large number of questions the new Prime Minister needs to answer on her views of the sector. For starters, how central is science and engineering to her ambitions for the UK?
Author: Gerard Westhoff, Communications, Campaign for Science and Engineering