What Does the Labour's Win Mean for the Scientific Community in the UK?

Visa rules, funding and evolving net-zero targets are among scientists’ concerns.

Keir Starmer became prime minister after Labour won the election with a large majority. Credit: Ricky Vigil/Getty

“Change” is the word that the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, set as the slogan of their campaign which led to a decisive victory in the recent UK general election. The Labour's landslide win marks a pivotal moment for the country's scientific community. After 14 years of Conservative rule, scientists are anticipating significant shifts in policy that could reshape the landscape of research, innovation, and higher education. “It will be a tall order”¹ Keir vowed. Here are four aspects of which the scientific community is particularly concerned about.

University Funding, Support and R&D Investment

One of the foremost concerns among scientists has been the financial stability of universities, exacerbated by declining international student numbers and frozen tuition fees. Labour's commitment to addressing these challenges signals potential relief for institutions facing financial strain. It is worth noting that all major parties expressed support for research and development to make the UK a “science superpower” as former UK prime minister Borris Johnson vowed.

Currently, the UK R&D spending stops at around 3% of the country’s GDP², yet 40% of the country’s higher education institutes fear going bust by the end of the year due to an imbalance between income and spending³.

Labour is committed to extending funding cycles for research agencies, including UK Research and Innovation, the principal public science funder in the UK, to 10 years instead of the traditional 3-year plans used in government budgeting, according to Labour's manifesto released on 13 June.

“We’ve listened to the sector, and we understand the value of long-term stability,” said Onwurah. “That is why we’ve announced 10-year R&D budgets for key institutions, which will allow relationships with the industry to be built, long-term partnerships to form, and investment in new technologies and infrastructure.”

This extended timeframe will foster meaningful partnerships with industry, ensuring the UK remains a leader in global innovation. However, it is yet to be seen how the labour government will execute these plans.

Visa and Immigration Policies