Research leaders welcome Conservatives’ election victory

Sector welcomes stability as PM pledges ‘colossal new investments’ in science

Key figures in the UK’s research lobby sector have voiced their hopes and fears for the next government, after the Conservative Party secured a large majority in the general election and as Boris Johnson was promising “colossal new investments” in science in his election victory speech on 13 December.

Welcoming the party’s plans to increase R&D spending to 2.4 per cent of GDP, Sarah Main, the executive director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said the community would work with government to “transform this commitment into a reality, with the long-term planning, funding and political support needed to reach this ambitious goal”.