Poll: More Brexit reversals on the Horizon?

The UK government’s decision to rejoin Horizon, the EU’s flagship science funding scheme, has been widely welcomed by the scientific community.

Since the early days of Brexit scientists and researchers have repeatedly warned of the potentially damaging consequences of reduced engagement with the EU, and since being frozen out of the Horizon scheme more than two years ago many of these warnings have come to pass: with funding plummeting, European / UK research partnerships suffering and many academics and researchers leaving the UK.

The decision to rejoin Horizon - which should help reverse some of these worrying trends - is great news for the UK research and science base and, more generally, the world of science; where international collaboration is vital to driving the advances and understanding that are key to solving humanity’s biggest challenges.  

The move has of course been hailed by the PM Rishi Sunak as an example of how much he and his team listen to the scientific community (although many would have liked their concerns to be taken more seriously seven years ago). Coming hot on the heels of the government’s recent U-turn on efforts to scrap supposedly “burdensome” retained EU laws, it has also been viewed by many as the latest reversal in a wider unravelling of the UK’s efforts to separate itself from the EU.