UK has ‘huge opportunity’ to be space watchdog, says former science minister

George Freeman urges country to act as global lead for space regulation, insurance and finance

The UK's role in the next generation of interplanetary exploration should be that of a space watchdog" leading on regulation, insurance and finance, a former science minister has said, in an effort to rein in a situation he compared to the wild west.

George Freeman, the MP for Mid Norfolk who was minister for science, research, technology and innovation under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, said the need for standards was pressing.