On science, a Labour government would offer change with stability

Party is aiming for longer-term funding and less turbulent policymaking, says John Whitfield

Whoever wins the 4 July general election—and it looks, to put it mildly, like being the Labour party—the most pressing issue for UK research will be the dire state of university finances. But unless, as many in the sector would hope, the next government reunites the science and university briefs, that will mostly be the Department for Education’s problem.

The incoming team at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is likely to have a quieter start. There has been speculation that Labour’s plans for industrial strategy and the green transition will drive it to reverse the 2023 division of the business and science departments. Given all the other more urgent demands on government bandwidth, that would be a surprise.