Skidmore commits to 2.4 per cent target in face of Brexit fears

The science minister has said he is determined to achieve the government’s goal of increasing total UK R&D spending to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027, in an exclusive opinion article for Research Fortnight’s sister publication HE.

In an article published on 31 March, two days after MPs voted down prime minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal for the third time, Chris Skidmore said he wants to be “the minister who made 2.4 per cent happen” and make sure the UK achieves the government target in a “sustainable fashion”.

The target “is always at the top of my agenda and will always inform every policy decision that I make”, he said. “We must do it in a way that delivers the researchers and international partnerships we need for the future and that recognises both the emerging technologies in which we need to invest and the necessity of attracting industry involvement through venture capital and international investment.”