Brown prefers scientists to bankers
By Alex Stevenson
Virtuous scientists were contrasted with villainous bankers by the prime minister as he delivered the prestigious Romanes lecture at Oxford University this afternoon.
Gordon Brown reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining Britain’s status as a centre for global expertise and innovation, despite the shift to a globalised economy currently underway.
And he indicated his commitment to free markets two days before EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss protectionism and Europe’s response to the downturn.
“We cannot and must not now walk away from the potential of science; any more than the recent failure of international regulation in the global economy means that we should give up on the principle of free markets as we seek to make markets fairer,” he said.
His lecture contained a strong moral element about the positive impact science could have on society, deliberately contrasted with the greed he appeared to associate with the financial sector.
“At this defining moment in the modern-day history of the British economy, is it not time to reconsider how to refocus our intellectual resources to reflect better the goals of our society,” Mr Brown continued.
“And to move away from an economy centred so heavily on financial services – and on finding ever more arcane ways to price complex derivatives – to one that is broader-based with a new focus on science and innovation. A country whose young people are more inspired by those who give to the world, than by those who take from it.”
The prime minister said the government would entrench investment in science as a national priority, promote a debate about the role of science “in the service of humanity” and “raise the status of science in education”.
One way he proposed to achieve the latter was by introducing a target of 90 per cent of state schools offering single science GCSEs.
Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws cast doubt on this, arguing the shortage of science teachers threatened to undermine this goal.
“Unless the chronic shortage of specialist teachers is tackled, particularly in the poorest areas, there is no way that all schools will be able to offer separate science GCSEs,” he said.
“This government is very good at producing target after target, but very bad at making the real changes it needs to actually achieve them.”
Mr Brown said he was determined to shore up the government’s ideological commitment to science, however.
He concluded: “At this defining moment in history, as Darwin could have said, the origin of our future is at stake. But I truly believe that British science can answer the call – and with it secure our economic future for generations to come.”
