General Election 2024

A General Election will take place in the UK on 4 July 2024.

We know that many of our members will be keeping outcomes for scientific research and education in mind when considering their vote.

See below what pledges the four main political parties are making around science, research, and education, as well as how our trusted sectoral partners are advocating for science ahead of the election and the next Parliament.

We hope the below resources and information will help you make an informed choice on 4 July.

Main party manifesto pledges related to science and research

Conservatives

Some key areas covered include:

FUNDING & INVESTMENT:

To increase public spending on R&D to £22 billion a year (from £20 billlion).

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY:

To support the UK's world-leading life sciences sector.
To maintain R&D tax reliefs worth over £280 million a year.
To proceed with their Advanced Manufacturing Plan, providing £4.5 billion to secure strategic manufacturing sectors, including life sciences industry.
To provide £1.6 billion in funding for Catapult Centres by 2028.

STEM EDUCATION:

To introduce bonuses of up to £30,000 tax-free over five years for new teachers in priority areas and key STEM and technical subjects.

Read the full manifesto here

Labour

Some key areas covered include:

FUNDING & INVESTMENT:

To scrap short funding cycles for key R&D institutions in favour of ten-year budgets.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY:

To support innovation and great British industries, including the life sciences industry.
To launch an industrial strategy that focuses on a pro-business environment that supports innovation, investment, and high-quality jobs, and includes a competition and regulatory framework.
To support university spinouts and provide access to finance for startups, to help growth.
To simplify procurement processes to support innovation in small businesses.
To introduce a new Regulatory Innovation Office, to help regulators update regulation for new innovations, speed up approval timelines, and coordinate issues that span boundaries.

HIGHER EDUCATION:

To better integrate further and higher education, and to improve access to universities and raise teaching standards.
To create a secure future for higher education and the opportunities it creates across the UK.

Read the full manifesto here

Liberal Democrats

Some key areas covered include:

FUNDING & INVESTMENT:

To aim to invest at least 3% of GDP in R&D by 2030, rising to 3.5% by 2034.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY:

To support science, research and innovation, particularly among small businesses and startups, in universities and in zero-carbon, environmental and medical technologies.
To launch an Industrial Strategy, overseen by an Industrial Strategy Council.
To support innovation by continuing participation in Horizon Europe and join the European Innovation Council.

HIGHER EDUCATION:

To ensure that all universities work to widen participation by disadvantaged and underrepresented groups across the sector.
To review higher education finance to consider any necessary reforms (in light of evidence of the impact of the existing financing system on access, participation and quality).

Read the full manifesto here

Scottish National Party

HIGHER EDUCATION:

To defend free university tuition in Scotland.

No other specific statements relating to scientific research in general (although research and investment in Artificial Intelligence will be prioritised).

Other parties

For information on other political parties, check their individual manifestos.

Resources from partner organisations

Image of hand placing voting card in a box

Joint Statement on R&D funding

Ahead of the General Election, in March 2024 we signed our name to a cross-sector call for continued and sustainable R&D investment to make the UK a leading country in the G7.

The statement was authored by 11 key organisations, including our partner organisation Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), and was signed by a further 23 organisations.

View the statement

News Article

23 Feb 2023

BEIS returns £1.6bn of promised Horizon Europe funding to Treasury

The Government released its Central Government Supply Estimates 2022-23, detailing that £1.6 billion of funds described as ‘unused funding for Horizon and Euratom participation fees’ have been returned to the Treasury by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy,

News Article

07 Sept 2023

General Election 2024

Main party manifesto pledges related to science and research

Conservatives

Labour

Liberal Democrats

Scottish National Party

Other parties

Resources from partner organisations

Related content

BEIS returns £1.6bn of promised Horizon Europe funding to Treasury

UK rejoins Horizon Europe

Policy partners

Policy

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