Professor Brian Cox has condemned government proposals to cut science funding by £215 million over two years and convert £350 million of student grants into loans, calling the plans 'nonsensical'. The physicist and broadcaster said the measures, revealed by the Guardian, would damage a national priority.
Cox argued that investment in higher education is essential for the UK's economic future, stating: 'The future of our economy essentially rests on an investment in students … Virtually every [developed] country in the world knows that.' He criticised the decision to divert resources away from science and student support following a budget overspend on private college subsidies, which trebled to £175 million in the last year.
Former Labour minister Alan Milburn, the coalition's social mobility adviser, warned the grant cut could deter poorer students from pursuing degrees. He noted that restoring grants had been part of the coalition deal that allowed tuition fees to treble in 2010, and added that there has already been a significant drop in mature and part-time student applications.
Shadow higher education minister Liam Byrne said Labour would table parliamentary questions to determine whether ministers were warned about the risks of private colleges 'soaking up' public subsidies. He added: 'We cannot have a situation where science and students are forced to pay the price for a toxic combination of dogma and incompetence.'
Student leaders and lobby groups also voiced opposition. Michael Chessum, president of the University of London Union, called for national protests, while Science is Vital expressed concern and pledged to fight any breach of the science budget ringfence. Dr Jennifer Rohn, chair of the group, said the reported cuts would be 'a major disappointment to researchers across the country'.
