Corbyn hasn’t done the detail – why Labour scientists are backing Owen Smith

Scientists for Labour members have voted overwhelmingly to endorse Owen Smith in the Labour leadership election. Our members voted to back Owen to be the next leader over Jeremy Corbyn by a margin of five to two, with three-quarters taking part in the ballot. 

I believe the landslide result was due to disappointment with Corbyn’s leadership, deep unhappiness over the EU referendum result, and an excitement that a credible alternative is being offered by Smith. 

Jeremy’s leadership has disappointed many of us. He has talked about boosting investment in our economy and supporting science. But a year on from becoming leader, he has not progressed beyond this to develop any detail, and his response to the questions that Scientists for Labour posed were broad and vague. We were disappointed that Jeremy did not appoint a full-time shadow minister for science as he had promised. It is deeply frustrating that there is currently no shadow minister covering science at all. Under Jeremy, Labour has failed to take on the Tories for their failures on science; we have not been the united and strong opposition that our country needs.

Our membership of the EU is hugely beneficial to UK science, so we are absolutely devastated by what happened with the EU referendum. We are a major beneficiary of EU funding, and science in the UK has benefited from free movement, from the single market, and from the framework the EU provides for international collaboration. Jeremy conspicuously failed to make a clear and enthusiastic Labour case for remaining in the EU. His campaign was lacklustre and his heart just didn’t seem to be in it.

I welcome Owen’s position on the EU. He understands that Brexit poses a profound threat to investment and collaboration in the science community, and to our wider economy. The British people were lied to during the referendum, the result was very close, and the final deal will not be what we were promised. Therefore I too think it is right that British voters are given a say on the proposed deal, through either another referendum or a general election.

Along with other members, I have been impressed by Owen Smith’s campaign. His responses to our questions were convincing and substantial. He clearly understands that science isn’t just important in itself, it is absolutely crucial to building a modern, dynamic and productive economy with good quality jobs.

Owen recognises that the UK has failed to invest enough in R&D and we need to reverse the decline of our manufacturing strength. He understands the scale of the threat from climate change, and he has a valid plan to address it. He also sees the potential for new jobs in green technology. Owen has pledged to introduce a British New Deal, with £200bn of investment, including £40bn for the new industries of the future and £15bn for the Green Investment Bank. Owen has promised to introduce a dedicated minister for science to coordinate action across government, something that is very welcome indeed.

With ballots going out this week, I will be voting for Owen Smith. I believe he understands that the importance of science, and he has a radical and credible plan to transform our economy. I believe he will be the best person to unite our country and take on the Tories. 

Technology pervades every corner of our lives, and with it comes political and social challenge. To understand its benefits and flaws there is a need to put scientific expertise and evidence-based policy making at the heart of politics in the Labour Party and government. We need to set out a positive and forward-thinking vision for our country. I believe Owen is the leader who can do that. 

John Unsworth is chair of Scientists for Labour, a socialist society established over 20 years ago and affiliated to Labour. Members are dispersed across the UK and come with a wide range of scientific and engineering experiences encompassing most disciplines from academic research, development, teaching, technical and industry backgrounds.