Shadow chancellor secures backing from Labour scientists

The leadership of Scientists for Labour says John McDonnell's shadow Treasury team is a marked improvement on its predecessors.

Speaking to Research Fortnight following a meeting with McDonnell, Scientists for Labour chairman John Unsworth said: "They see science as an integral part, rather than something vague and distant." Unsworth, who works in energy consulting, added that the shadow Treasury team was more engaged with science than previous Labour Treasury teams he had worked with.

The meeting, which took place on 14 January, also included shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra and Scientists for Labour’s David Caplin, emeritus professor of physics at Imperial College London.