CaSE cross-party debate ahead of the 2010 election

Catch up on the CaSE policy debate between the science spokespeople from the three main parties ahead of the 2010 election.

Ahead of the 2010 election, CaSE brought together the science spokespeople from each of the main parties to give the sector an opportunity to hear how each of the Parties would support science and engineering if elected. 

• Lord Drayson (Labour), Science and Innovation Minister
• Adam Afriyie MP (Conservatives), Shadow Science and Innovation Minister
• Dr Evan Harris MP (Liberal Democrats), Science Spokesperson

The debate was chaired by Roger Highfield of New Scientist and kindly hosted by the IET.

There were 350 people in the audience and 140 people watched online. The panellists responded to questions from audience on range of issues, including research funding, education, innovation and scientific advice in government.

If you missed the debate you can watch it in full, or take a look at photos from the evening on Flickr.

Press coverage:

• BBC News: Minsters are entitled to sack advisers, say Tories
• THE: We ‘just don’t like them’ is adequate reason to dismiss advisers, claims shadow science minister

Blogs on the debate:

• New Scientist, The S Word: UK parties’ science spokesmen meet again
• Pasco Phronesis blog: Second Cross-Party science debate manages to please and displease
• Andy Russell’s Blog: Make Science an Election Issue
• Some Beans: Making Science and Engineering a Policy Issue
• AMRC: Science Debate
• To the Left of Centre: CaSE Science Debate