Sunak invited to reintegrate UK into other EU programs like Erasmus after joining Horizon – British Politics Live | Policy

Labor say the government was wrong to keep the UK out of Horizon for so long. Commenting on today’s announcement, Peter Kylethe Shadow Science Secretary, said:

Today’s announcement is a relief after years of Conservative Prime Ministers putting party before country. However, this announcement is too late for many researchers, companies and academics who have already lost billions of funds and moved their jobs and expertise elsewhere.

Our world-class research base deserves a government that lives up to its ambitions. The Labor Party’s industrial strategy will support our globally leading sectors like life sciences and unlock the potential of our scientific community.

Chris Pincher, the former Conservative Deputy Chief Whip, has announced that he is stepping down as an MP. After the standards committee said he should be suspended for eight weeks for groping two men at the Carlton club, and after losing his appeal against that conviction this week, he faced the risk of a probable recall by-election. This morning, he short-circuited that process by resigning immediately.

This means there will be a by-election in his constituency of Tamworth. Rishi Sunak is already facing a very difficult by-election in Mid Bedfordshire, where Nadine Dorries had a majority of 24,664 votes in 2019 and where a defeat for the Tories would be the biggest by-election defeat in terms of the number of voters ( rather than share of votes) of history. This competition will take place on October 19.

Pincher had a majority of 19,634 votes in the last election. Labor comes second, and the Liberal Democrats third. The Tories might also want to time the by-election for Oct. 19 to concentrate the likely electoral pain into a single night.

In his statement, Pincher says:

I have already said that I will not run in the next general election.

However, following the Independent Panel’s decision, I wanted to speak to my office team and my family.

I do not want my constituents to be thrown into further uncertainty and that is why I have made arrangements to resign and leave the Commons.

Tamworth is a wonderful place and it was an honor to represent its people.

I will make no further comment at this time.

Good morning. Seven years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, and more than three years after we officially left, the government has announced its return to a European institution. The UK is joining Horizon, the EU’s £85 billion scientific research programme. This doesn’t mean much for a long-term realignment towards Europe, but it is a small pendulum swing in one direction after years of being vigorously pulled in the other direction.

When Boris Johnson negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement, it contained a provision allowing the UK to remain part of Horizon. But the EU ruled out Britain when it felt the Johnson/Truss governments weren’t enforcing the Northern Ireland Protocol, and Rishi Sunak actively considered arguments for the UK to turn its back. at Horizon and again funds its own research program. But the scientific community, almost universally, said that Sunak would be crazy not to join Horizon, that the Windsor framework solved the NI protocol problem (at least, from an EU perspective), and that since that morning, Britain is back.

Here is Lisa O’Carrollthe story.

And here is the statement from Downing Street.

The Liberal Democrats believe Sunak should follow through on the move by bringing Britain back into other EU programs like Erasmus, the student exchange scheme. Commenting on Horizon’s announcement, Layla MoranLiberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Critic said:

This is good news, but it is long overdue.

It is tragic that so much needless damage has been done to our scientists and researchers because of the Conservatives’ botched deal with Europe.

Government hesitation and delays mean scientists will have missed out on vital funding and projects. This announcement won’t undo that damage, but it is ultimately a positive step forward. It was time.

With this breakthrough, the government must seek to extend this cooperation to other programs such as Erasmus and return these obvious benefits to all Britons.

Sunak is on a Horizon-related visit this morning and may be asked about it. But the main questions are likely to center on the government’s response to the escape of a terrorism defendant from Wandsworth prison. We will cover this story on a separate liveblog.

Here is the program for the day.

Morning: Rishi Sunak is visiting this morning in connection with the Horizon announcement, where he will address the media.

Morning: Keir Starmer is visiting Macclesfield.

10 a.m.: Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, and other health officials give evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee about the new hospital scheme.

11:30 a.m.: Downing Street holds a briefing in the lobby.

Noon: Humza Yousaf, Scottish First Minister, answers questions at Holyrood.

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