Lib Dems push for long-term research spending

The Liberal Democrat party has renewed its push for a long-term government commitment to research spending.

In a statement given to Research Fortnight, the Lib Dem Team Science candidates for the May 2015 election say that while they welcome chancellor George Osborne’s emphasis on science in the autumn statement last week, “What scientists and engineers also need is a long-term commitment to research spending.”

The Lib Dems say that this long-term commitment is needed to allow principal investigators to plan ahead and to encourage early-career researchers to pursue their careers at UK institutions. “We continue to call for a long-term, above-inflation science spending plan to ensure that investment in science and engineering is secure and sustainable,” they say in the statement.