Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Scientists Push for Closer UK-EU Ties in Brexit Talks

India born Nobel Prize winner Venkatraman (Venki) Ramakrishnan has called for a “sensible” post-Brexit immigration system to ensure that mobility of scientists is maintained when Britain leaves the European Union (EU) next year.

Prof Venki, as he is popularly known, is the president of the Royal Society and is among Britain’s key advocates for science.


He warned that Britain is in danger of losing its position as a leading scientific hub in the event of a no-deal or bad-deal as the UK negotiates its future ties with the EU.

“We in the Royal Society and the rest of the scientific community are working very hard to have a new sensible system for immigration that would be fast, transparent, efficient and with proportionate costs,” said Prof Venki.

“We plan to fight very, very hard to make mobility straightforward, regula-tions transparent and efficient so that this is less of an issue. This is a political fight, but we intend to do our best,” he said at a Royal Society event in London on Monday (17).

Prof Venki, who was knighted by the Queen in 2012 for his contribution to science, was joined by two former presidents of the Royal Society geneticist Sir Paul Nurse and astronomer Lord Martin Rees who both warned that the political aspects of the Brexit debate “threatened to drown out the interests of the scientific community”.

“The current immigration system for non-EU migrants is utterly not fit for purpose. It is onerous, it puts people off, it costs too much money. The present political drivers for Brexit have very little sympathy for these arguments because of the anti-immigration impact,” said Sir Paul, who serves as the director of the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Prof Venki, who was born in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, in south India, moved to the UK 19 years ago. He recalled undergoing a “fairly simple” process as he arrived in Britain at the time. However, “the requirements today are so onerous that they act as a barrier,” he added.

Britain’s scientific community is calling on the government to retain a close association with European science, in the form of a “closest possible associate membership” within the overall EU deal.

“We feel that we are at a crossroads for British and European science as a result of the current negotiations that are going on. There is a lot of talk about various issues around Brexit and we are worried that in all these talks and nego-tiations somehow science should not take a back seat,” said Prof Venki.

“If science loses, everyone loses,” he added.

The Royal Society warns that a no-deal or bad-deal Brexit means the UK stands to lose access to more than £1 billion a year in EU research funding, access to new medicines and technologies, regulatory alignment and access to highly skilled scientists.

“Countries depend on reputation for their science because we live in a global marketplace for talent and if we are perceived as an open society, that’s welcoming to the best of world, then that enhances science and that is good for everybody,” said Prof Venki.

More For You

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

Foreign Office minister Catherine West, health secretary Wes Streeting and equalities minister Seema Malhotra during the Holi Reception in London.

Streeting: Health deal signals new era in UK-India ties

THE recent health and life sciences agreement between the UK and India will strengthen cooperation on healthcare innovation and security in both countries, health secretary Wes Streeting said.

Speaking at the Holi reception organised by the India All-Party Parliamentary Group and the 1928 Institute in London on Monday (24), he added that the contribution of British Indians has been pivotal in the growth of the NHS since its inception in 1948, and a robust partnership between the two nations will ensure we have a healthcare provider 'fit for the future'.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-steel-iStock

An aerial view of Steel Plant Industry in Scunthorpe. (Photo: iStock)

British Steel to shut blast furnaces, up to 2,700 jobs at risk

BRITISH STEEL, owned by Chinese group Jingye, confirmed on Thursday that it will shut down its blast furnaces and steelmaking operations in England, attributing the decision to market challenges, tariffs, and rising environmental costs.

The closures, first proposed in late 2023, could lead to the loss of up to 2,700 jobs at the company’s main UK site in Scunthorpe, northern England, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil has garnered significant media attention with its direct action protests

Getty Images

Just Stop Oil ends direct action campaign after major policy success

The environmental activist group Just Stop Oil has announced an end to its disruptive direct action protests, declaring a significant victory in its campaign to halt new oil and gas developments. In a statement released by the organisation, the group confirmed it had successfully influenced government policy to abandon new fossil fuel exploration, marking a major turning point in the movement’s goals.

“Just Stop Oil's initial demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history,” the group’s statement read. It went on to claim responsibility for having kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the ground, while legal victories in the courts have ruled new oil and gas licences unlawful.

Keep ReadingShow less
submarine-crash-reuters

People walk next to an ambulance in front of the hospital where the bodies of foreigners who were killed when a tourist submarine sank off Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, and whose nationalities are still unknown, are kept. (Photo: Reuters)

Six foreign tourists die after submarine sinks off Egypt’s Red Sea coast

SIX tourists died on Thursday when a submarine carrying visitors sank near Hurghada, a resort city on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, state media reported.

According to the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, all the deceased were foreigners. The report also said 19 others were injured in the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
EU Warns Citizens to Stockpile Essentials Amid War Concerns

Not all EU countries currently have the same level of preparedness

Getty Images

European Union urges citizens to stockpile food and supplies amid risk of war

The European Union (EU) has advised its 450 million citizens to stockpile essential items, including food and water, to prepare for potential emergencies. This call to action is part of a broader strategy to improve disaster preparedness across the 27-nation bloc, as it faces increasing risks from war, cyberattacks, climate change, and public health crises.

The EU’s recommendation comes in light of recent global developments that have raised concerns about security and stability. Citizens are encouraged to have enough food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies to last at least 72 hours during a crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less