“Hope has always been found in scientific and technological innovation,” says Lopez
Alan Mak has stepped down as shadow science secretary after just eight months in the role, with Julia Lopez appointed as his successor, as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reshuffles her shadow cabinet.
Yesterday, Mak posted the resignation letter he sent to Badenoch on social media site X, confirming his resignation to focus on his constituency of Havant.
“Despite your offer of an alternative role, I feel this is the right time for me to focus locally,” he continued.
In his shadow role, Mak challenged science secretary Peter Kyle on the cancellation of the Edinburgh Exascale supercomputer—which has since been relaunched—and on the impact of what he termed the “jobs tax”, referring to the national insurance contribution increase for employers, on technology companies and R&D businesses.
His successor in the brief, Hornchurch and Upminster MP Lopez, also took to X to thank Badenoch for her appointment. “We face so many challenges as a country but hope has always been found in scientific and technological innovation,” she wrote.
“[The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology] is a small department with a massive task—I want it to succeed. I want the very best brains to stay here and develop world-changing innovations that improve people’s lives.”
Previous minister
Lopez was elected in the 2017 general election and has held several ministerial roles.
She served under former prime minister Rishi Sunak as minister of state in both the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. She was DCMS shadow secretary up until her appointment as shadow science secretary.
In her post announcing her new role, she criticised the Labour government, calling its education reforms “anti-excellence” and saying the government taxes “anything that moves”.
“Their colossal mismanagement of the public finances is going to end up forcing cuts to vital research and the infrastructure we need to get ahead,” she added.
Universities brief
Neil O’Brien, formerly a shadow minister with universities in his brief, has also been moved in Badenoch’s shadow cabinet reshuffle, taking on a role as shadow minister for policy renewal and development.
In an interview with Research Professional News in March, he blasted the impact on universities of the national insurance contribution increase for employers, highlighting its juxtaposition with a rise in tuition fees.
“It is giving with the left hand and taking with the right hand,” he told RPN. “The government says ‘you’ve got this great fees increase’ but they had just taken away all the income that will generate.”
No replacement in his brief has yet been announced.
