Cambridge University astrophysicist loses space project role amid Brexit row

Nicholas Walton gives up leadership of 2.8m pan-European research after dispute over Northern Ireland protocol

A Cambridge University astrophysicist studying the Milky Way and hoping to play a major part in the European Space Agency's (Esa) next big project has been forced to hand over his coordinating role on the scheme after the row over Northern Ireland's Brexit arrangements put science in the firing line.

Nicholas Walton, a research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, reluctantly passed his leadership role in the 2.8m pan-European Marie Curie Network research project to a colleague in the Netherlands on Friday.