Another time, another place

The government’s talk of ‘levelling up’ is at odds with rapid growth in R&D

In a month’s time, chancellor Sajid Javid will deliver the UK’s first post-Brexit budget—the government’s first chance to show how it, in the prime minister’s words, will “spread hope and opportunity to every part of the UK”. 

For research, the first sign of hope, or otherwise, will be what cash is put behind the government’s pledge to raise R&D spending to that talismanic (and yet, OECD average) target of 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027.