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EU membership: 'UK cannot be an island in science' EU membership: 'UK cannot be an island in science'
(6 months later)
One of the UK’s leading scientists has warned against leaving the European Union, saying the country “cannot afford to be an island” in research.One of the UK’s leading scientists has warned against leaving the European Union, saying the country “cannot afford to be an island” in research.
Sir Paul Nurse, the Nobel prize-winning director of the Francis Crick Institute, said Britain was too small to be effective outside the “powerhouse” of the 28-nation bloc.Sir Paul Nurse, the Nobel prize-winning director of the Francis Crick Institute, said Britain was too small to be effective outside the “powerhouse” of the 28-nation bloc.
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The former president of the Royal Society also accused “naive” pro-Brexit campaigners, such as Michael Gove, of “intellectual laziness”. The justice secretary had said the amount of bureaucracy involved in the EU clinical trials directive had “slowed down the creation of new drugs to cure terrible diseases”.The former president of the Royal Society also accused “naive” pro-Brexit campaigners, such as Michael Gove, of “intellectual laziness”. The justice secretary had said the amount of bureaucracy involved in the EU clinical trials directive had “slowed down the creation of new drugs to cure terrible diseases”.
Nurse told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He is wrong about this. We have plenty of bureaucracy in the UK about this, I fight it myself.Nurse told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He is wrong about this. We have plenty of bureaucracy in the UK about this, I fight it myself.
“If we are to really make science work, we have to be part of the European Union, we have to influence the agenda, we have to make the regulations work.“If we are to really make science work, we have to be part of the European Union, we have to influence the agenda, we have to make the regulations work.
“We are too small to be effective. We are an island. We cannot afford to be an island in science.“We are too small to be effective. We are an island. We cannot afford to be an island in science.
“If we are part of the European Union we are part of a powerhouse that can produce the data. We have to work with them and we will have no impact if we are outside. It will make it worse. It is naive, this argument.”“If we are part of the European Union we are part of a powerhouse that can produce the data. We have to work with them and we will have no impact if we are outside. It will make it worse. It is naive, this argument.”
However, an anti-EU group has been set up under the Scientists for Britain banner.However, an anti-EU group has been set up under the Scientists for Britain banner.
Its spokesman, Prof Angus Dalgleish, of St George’s hospital, University of London, told the BBC: “We are standing up against what is a very large body of people who feel that if we leave the EU it will be a disaster for funding and collaboration – and we completely refute that.Its spokesman, Prof Angus Dalgleish, of St George’s hospital, University of London, told the BBC: “We are standing up against what is a very large body of people who feel that if we leave the EU it will be a disaster for funding and collaboration – and we completely refute that.
“The bottom line is that we put far more into Europe than we get out. Any difference we can more than easily make up with the money we would save.”“The bottom line is that we put far more into Europe than we get out. Any difference we can more than easily make up with the money we would save.”
Nurse told Today: “Moving away, just burying our head in the sand, it lacks ambition. It is simply the wrong message to give to our young scientists, young people more generally.Nurse told Today: “Moving away, just burying our head in the sand, it lacks ambition. It is simply the wrong message to give to our young scientists, young people more generally.
“We need ambition to succeed and we will succeed better with the European Union rather than turning our back on the EU over science, because if we do, they will turn their backs on us.”“We need ambition to succeed and we will succeed better with the European Union rather than turning our back on the EU over science, because if we do, they will turn their backs on us.”