Conspiracy or Cock-up?

Academic communities are asking if a recent amendment to legislation is the government’s attempt to prevent the influence of researchers on UK policymaking – or if it’s simply a case of clumsy phrasing. From May 2016, a new clause will be inserted into grant agreements stating that “payments that support activity intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, government or political parties [...] or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action” will no longer be considered “Eligible Expenditure” (1). The new clause is based on research carried out by the Institute of Economic Affairs, which is said to have “exposed the practice of taxpayers' money given to pressure groups being diverted to fund lobbying rather than the good causes or public services".

The Cabinet Office says that the clause will “ensure that freedom of speech is protected, whilst stopping taxpayers’ money being diverted away from good causes”, and claims it will not “prevent organizations from using their own privately-raised funds to campaign as they see fit”. However, an online petition claims the clause is an “attack on academic freedom” that will “stop grants for university research being used to influence policy-makers”. An editorial in Nature called for the UK government to reassure scientists that their advice was still welcome... (2).

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