Appointment of Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party

Following the appointment of Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party, and expectedly as Prime Minister in the near future.

Dr Daniel Rathbone, CaSE Assistant Director, said:

“I congratulate Rishi Sunak on becoming the new Leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister.

“When Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, showed that he understood stability of intent, supported by sustained investment, is vital to help research and innovation thrive in a way that improves people’s lives and livelihoods. For the UK to reap these rewards he must stay true to his previous commitments as Chancellor and back the R&D funding promised in the 2021 spending review.

“These are turbulent times, both politically and economically, and big decisions will need to be made about future Government spending and investment in the coming days and weeks. It is vital that long term thinking doesn’t fall by the wayside. Research and innovation capability is not a tap you can turn on and off at will. History has shown that withdrawal of investment from areas of science has set the UK back for a generation, taking decades to rebuild national capability and talent.

“The UK must demonstrate that it is, and will remain, a global hub for research and innovation and an attractive place to perform and invest in R&D.”

Notes

Rishi Sunak speaking in October 2021 -“We need to do what the people of this country have always done: invent, discover, and create the ideas and technologies that will change the world. So we will also invest more in innovation.”