The Conservative Science Policy

Here is an extract from page 11 of the Conservative Party manifesto published today.

"Make Britain the leading hi-tech exporter in Europe

We will implement key recommendations from Sir James Dyson’s Review into how to achieve our goal of making Britain Europe’s leading hi-tech exporter, including:

• encouraging the establishment of joint university-business research and development institutes;
• initiating a multi-year Science and Research Budget to provide a stable investment climate for Research Councils;
• creating a better focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects in schools; and,
• establishing a new prize for engineering.
  

Research and development tax credits will be improved and refocused on hi-tech companies, small businesses and new start-ups. At the same time, we will give strong backing to the growth industries that generate high-quality
jobs around the country.

We will improve the performance of UK Trade and Investment with a renewed focus on high priority sectors and markets where the return on taxpayers’ money is highest. We will regularly compare government support for exporters and inward investment against the services provided by our competitors. We will work for the successful conclusion of the Doha trade round and support bilateral free trade negotiations between the European Union (EU) and other countries."

After reading this through several times, I think what Tories plan to do to improve UK Science is to:

Give a trophy to the school or university who can design the cheapest bagless vacuum cleaner and then flog them to the French.

Brilliant. Well done Mr Cameron.