My heart is light.
Several early indicators suggest that the UK science budget is to be spared. Although a freeze on funding will correspond to a cut in real terms of about 10% after four years, due to inflation, it is far less than the originally projected 25-45%, and is also much kinder than the cuts to many other sectors.
The BBC is crediting “strong representations…by the scientific community” for the reprieve. Which I think, quite possibly, might include us.
Can it really be true? And how can we ever thank all the thousands of people who helped make the campaign a success?
Whatever, you and the campaign organising team can pat yourselves on the back for a job well done.
They will thank you for putting it together!
Awesome job! I meant it when I said it the first time and will repeat it again, it’s wonderful to see that it can make a difference! Of course, there were lots of people involved and the end product has many names to it – but someone had to light the tourch and start the rally….
Thanks Jenny! And Thanks Science is vital and all the people who signed the petion and did write letters and rallied and all. Even if I don’t live in the UK it’s great to know that a campaign with focus can make a difference! 🙂
smiles
What
IEvaAsa said. Very well done to all involved – your efforts were truly inspirational and I’m proud to know you.Whew. Well done – all that hard work was worth it.
Now get back to the lab and bring Britain 2 Nobels before the next spending review, or we’ll all think you’re a load of wusses.
I add my admiration to you for the campaign, Jenny, and I am so pleased that it has contributed to a (to be hoped) positive outcome.
Awesome work. By helping secure the budget, you’ve positively affected thousands of lives…and possibly millions indirectly. Like Cath says, I’m proud to know you (and all involved).
Thanks all. We are very much hoping that there are no unexpected land-minds among the rest of the scientifically-related cuts that could eat into this small victory. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed.
Thumbs up!
yes, it’s not all good news by a long stretch, but we have shown that scientists can make their voice heard at the highest levels, for the good of the country. But the Science Is Vital massif never sleeps, and we are already planning the next stage.
I could say more, but I know Jenny’s plotting another post and I don’t steal her thunder…
I like the thought of land-minds, I imagine unexpected explosions of deep thought…
Many congratulations everyone, I am proud to know such effective campaigners 🙂
excellent!, congratulations.
Hi all, well done on the campaign, it seems to have worked! I’ve had a quick look at the PDF of the spending review, and have extracted all the sciency bits for perusal: http://bit.ly/9KUQi6
Congrats, Jenny and all the others on the Science is Vital team – a really well-executed campaign. I hope you’re all able to at least take the coming weekend off for some well-earned celebrating and catching up on sleep!
Belated congrats. I would have said more and sooner, but for some reason I can’t add comments from an iPad or iPhone.
/blush. "Land-minds". I definitely need some sleep. Thanks for your comments all!
(Yes, I’m hoping they fix the iPhone comment problem soon – I do most of my surfing on the phone these days. It worked fine with the old system – as indeed did so many other things. Well, we can hope.)
Thanks all for your very kind words.
MT 5 will fix that.
This was a terrific effort and everyone involved should be congratulated, but I can’t help thinking this was a glorious rearguard action, not a victory. For those of us who love science and want to see it thrive in Britain, this was our Dunkirk.
I have already passed on congratulations to Jenny and RPG via email, but let me add them publicly (debates about how "public" NN is notwithstanding) here. And I will echo what Cath said above – I am pleased and proud to "know" (in a 21st-century, I-haven’t-really-met-them-but-talked-to-RPG-on-the-phone-once kinda way) such people who can take an idea like this and turn it into reality. My sense is that I really have no idea of the amount of effort involved by the whole team.
So there you go. I even braved NN’s dreaded orange sign-in screen and irritating double carriage returns to come and say that. I will now retreat outside the NN firewall again.
I’m so impressed by the entire campaign. Congratulations Jennifer, your hard work totally paid off. Just when you think direct action doesn’t work, something like this comes along and revives your fighting spirit.
Science is essential
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Thanks all. I like the reference to Dunkirk – I myself felt like a half-sinking boat on fire during most of it.
Ye gods, now the stupid thing’s taking me to a "you need to register" page (with my username and password pre-filled). Stunning.
But – regarding Dunkirk – I think a half-sinking boat on fire is perhaps a touch better than feeling like a tank with a hand grenade rolled down its barrel.
Whatever that means.