Post-Brexit UK research needs bolder action from this timid government

Government rhetoric about 'global Britain' is not matched by its limp response to proposals for securing the future of research and higher education

Theresa May's Lancaster House speech on Brexit resounded repeatedly with declarations of her ambition to foster a new 'global Britain', a term mentioned no less than twelve times. But what precisely are her government's plans for UK research, which has been launched into a fog of uncertainty by the EU referendum? Does it have the boldness and clarity of purpose to match her rhetorical bravado?

The report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee on the future of UK science outside the EU is certainly a bold document. Published in December 2016, A Time for Boldness: EU Membership and UK Science After the Referendum is not without its flaws but it proposes clear actions to help UK research and higher education to face the challenges of Brexit.