Interview: Unfinished business

Despite standing down as science minister, George Freeman still has designs on UK R&D policy

On a shelf outside George Freeman’s parliamentary office there is a box for a jigsaw puzzle of the Houses of Parliament. Making small talk while the former science minister is on a call, one of Freeman’s aides tells me it isn’t finished. Comparisons with Freeman’s career are hard to ignore.

Last November, he unexpectedly stepped down as minister. In January, he explained in a blog post that his decision was, in part, financial. He said he couldn’t afford the increase to his mortgage costs on a ministerial salary.