According to Politics Home:
The UK is ready to pay around £1bn to remain part of the European Union's science and research fund, Horizon 2020. David Davis' Brexit department will set out its plans in a fresh position paper on Wednesday, the Times reports.
I have something of a personal interest in this issue: much of my current work at City, University of London is funded by Horizon 2020, which is the pan-European academic research fund that supports most major research projects in UK universities, where it is normal to work in a multi-university team spread across a number of member states. This cross-university funding has been under threat ever since the Brexit vote. That is one of the major reasons why academics would, if they could, leave UK universities in the future for posts in the EU. The simple fact is that they (and maybe I) would follow the money.
Keeping the UK in Horizon 2020 will make bids involving UK universities possible again. I really hope that's possible. Not just for me, of course, but also for the sector, which is a massive income earner for the UK.
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Freedom of movement is a non-negotiable component of full associate membership of EU programme such as Horizon 2020.
The Swiss were thrown out when they voted for reduced movement, see
http://www.nature.com/news/swiss-scientists-to-regain-full-access-to-eu-research-programmes-1.21225
The compromise was that the Swiss would not put limits on immigration. There were plenty of academics saying this before the referendum but no one was listening – what use experts afterall 😉
My suspicion is that the UK knows this
My suspicion is that the UK (negotiators & Brexiters) chose to ignore all facts that may darken a “bright future” for Britain.
They hope the EU won’t notice their swindling, but if EU27 (certainly!) do so, they’ll cry “EU wants to punish us”.
Blaming others for one’s own incompetence is their favourite pastime …
on the immigration issue as the core of the Brexit voters’ concern, I’m interested in the idea that the concern has already been addressed.
The alarm over the 75 million Turks ready to invade our shores, which according to Dominic Cummings decided the vote, has now disappeared because of the authoritarian acts of Erdogan’s government. There is now no prospect of Turkey joining the EU.
Yet another reason why that daft referendum is not a sacrosanct expression of the will of the British people but a random act of stupidity which should be challenged at every opportunity
Andrew
I agree
As I often have with you!
Richard
There was never any real prospect of Turkey joining the EU in any foreseeable timescale shorter than a decades, and probably much longer now. But the bogeyman of uncontrolled! immigration! (of Muslims! (from Turkey!! (lock up your daughters!!!))) achieved its desired result.
Presumably David Davis expects we will back more than £1 billion in EU science funding. But that very calculation betrays a blinkered, transactional view of EU membership: counting the beans we put in and the gravy we get out.
We needed to hear this in June 2016; irreparable damage has already been done to British universities.
This funding may well evaporate if Brexitstan does not maintain the freedom of movement commitments of an EU member – and, as the Swiss found out the hard way, of an EU partner in the Horizons programme.
This funding will definitely evaporate if the not-so-rogue elements of the Home Office continue sending ‘prepare to be deported’ letters to EU citizens lawfully resident in Britain or whatever successor state Brexitstan turns out to be.
These latter-day Stasi relish threatening academic staff and I do not doubt that their agenda – whatever it may be – is succeeding. I *do* doubt that there is either the wit or the will to stop them in the senior echelons of the Home office; do not look to Mrs May’s protégé and successor in the rôle for leadership in this.
I fear you may be right
Note what Charles also said
I continue to think that my research may be undertaken from an EU university in the future
Thank heavens for an Irish passport
I had better get my own Irish passport sorted out – and soon.
Project ‘ejector seat’ is underway, in banking as well as in academia: my next port of call is consultancy work in a European bank.
I note Charles’ comments and he is correct on the matters of fact.
I’m not so sure of his opinion on the politics: it is entirely possible that Civil Service briefings to the Minister – and to those advisers whose advice is valued by reason of their loyalty – have run into impervious ignorance and airy denials of the facts.
In addition to the deluded arrogance of the Brexiteer, we would do well to remember that the root of the Brexit project is mendacity: liars lie to themselves, and to each other, as much as they lie to you and I.
Whatever Brexiteers may say can never quite be taken at face falue; and, unlike (say) religious fundamentalists and white supremacists, there may well be no coherent agenda driving what they choose to say and hope you will remember or forget tomorrow.
It is is no criticism of Charles’ intellect and analytical skills, nor of yours, to be caught out by this: a project founded in mendacity will not always yield to rational analysis – it certainly won’t yield coherent and consistent conclusions! – and sane men risk being confounded or sucked into the irrationality when they try.