The network of seven giant astronomy dishes that has made this country a
leader in the study of stars and planets is to be axed under plans to save
£2.5 million a year.
Scientists say that the funding proposals, drawn up by the Government’s
Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC), will destroy Britain’s
leading role in radio astronomy.
Jodrell Bank is faced with closure as an observatory under the proposals to
end public funding for e-Merlin, a project linking the seven radio
telescopes. Parts of the network, such as Jodrell Bank, have been
responsible for some of the most important astronomical discoveries of the
past 50 years, from the tracking of Sputnik rockets in the 1950s to the most
accurate proof of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, carried out in the past
two years.
Close to £8 million has already been spent — and is set to go to waste — on
improving links between the dishes in an upgrade intended to make the
“world-class” array of radiotelescopes 30 times more powerful.
Annual running costs of £2.5 million had been promised by the council, a
government funding body for science with a £670 million budget. It has now
advised that the funding be dropped.
The move is part of the council’s attempts to reduce its spending after an £80
million shortfall in funding from the Government last year.
Ending financial support for e-Merlin, the national facility for
radioastronomy, will destroy the scientific field in Britain unless
alternative funding can be found. It is likely to spell the end of Jodrell
Bank’s operational life because the observatory, run by the University of
Manchester, is the headquarters for the project and concentrates most of its
efforts on it.
Last night the Government was unavailable for comment on the plans, described
by the Royal Astronomical Society as a “severe dent” to Britain’s reputation
for space study. Last month Ian Pearson, the Science Minister, said that
with the world “on the cusp” of a new era of space exploration Britain
should not let itself be left behind.
Yesterday David Willetts, the Shadow Innovation Secretary, said of the funding
plans: “The Government has failed to appreciate the damage that is being
done to the science community and needs to think again.”
The Tories have the support of 16 MPs, including Labour MPs, for an early day
motion condemning the impact of the cuts.
Radio astronomy offers a window on the stars that provides insights into the
make-up of the Universe and how stars and planets are created. Without the
array of radiotelescopes, which even before the upgrade was the most
powerful of its kind, radio astronomers in Britain would lose their position
at the forefront of the field.
Phil Diamond, the director of Jodrell Bank, said that the loss of e-Merlin,
the upgraded version of the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer
Network (Merlin), would be catastrophic for radio astronomy. “It will
essentially mean the STFC are closing down a field of astronomy. A lot of
the scientific community would be outraged.”
Simon Garrington, head of the Merlin project, said of the funding cut: “It
would be an enormous blow if it came to pass. It would mean a complete
withdrawal from observational radio astronomy in the UK. Merlin is the UK’s
national radio astronomy facility. It’s unique.”
Merlin’s strength comes from having seven telescope dishes, including the
Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank, linked to receive signals from space
simultaneously. Because they operate in tandem up to 135 miles apart they
offer unrivalled detail on distant gallaxies.
Michael Rowan-Robinson, president of the Royal Astronomical Society, said that
to cut back on the project would damage the nation’s prospects of playing a
leading role in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a radio telescope network
expected to be built in Australia or South Africa by 2020. The SKA is the
biggest project in the field and would offer scientists unprecedented
opportunities for making discoveries about how the Universe operates.
Professor Rowan-Robinson said that if it got rid of Merlin and Jodrell Bank,
which was announced last year as the headquarters for the SKA development
project, Britain would start to lose the expertise it needed for a central
role.
The proposed cuts were announced at a meeting in London this week when the
STFC revealed it considered Merlin a low priority. Melville Hoare, an
astronomer at the University of Leeds, stood up to protest. Yesterday he
said: “The decision should certainly be reversed. The £8 million that’s been
spent will go to waste. That’s government money, taxpayers’ money. It is
galling and so ridiculous.”
Without Merlin, Dr Hoare said, “UK astronomy in particular would suffer. There
would be key areas of astronomy — the formation and evolution of stars, the
formation of gallaxies, the physics of black holes, — that we just wouldn’t
be able to do.”
Peter Barratt, of the STFC, said that it had been given less money by the
Government than had been hoped. A final decision on which projects would
have to be axed had yet to be made and the assessment of priorities had been
put out to consultation.
Money well spent?
£2.5m is the annual running costs of Jodrell Bank. The Government has spent
the same amount on:
— compensating prisoners for claims of abuse, assault, unlawful detention and
medical negligence last year
— expenses claimed by Cabinet ministers in 2007
— council tax rebate for Armed Forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
— value of Admiralty House, the grace-and-favour apartment occupied by Lord
Malloch-Brown, Foreign Office Minister
— grants and subsidies to the Prince of Wales last year
Cutting the funding for Jodrell Bank and the team of world leading Radio Astronomers of the UK will also be disastrous for the SKADS (Square Kilometer Array Design Study) team. See http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/ska/. It is well known (see http://www.skatelescope.org/) that South Africa's Ministry of Science & Technology is now investing significant amounts of funding towards the development of the Meerkat protoype radio telescope array for the SKA in the Northern Cape. For me personally it is strange to see a national push for world class Astronomy infrastructure and human capacity development in a country like South Africa, whereas there is a national push in the UK to destroy the same in the UK!
Okkie de Jager, Potchefstroom, South Africa
I am an astrophysicist from South Africa working in the field of radio astronomy. This is certainly the most shocking news. It is the most short sighted move that the British Government can make. Rather pull out completely from Iraq and Afghanistan which in any case is just a bottomless pit in which the UK tax payers' money is being thrown into and from which no real rewards for the British people will come.
The UK has always had a very good reputation in radio astronomy. This move will definitely destroy it. And in any case, what is 2.5 million pounds sterling for a country like the UK. Shame on the British Government!
Johan van der Walt, Potchefstroom, South Africa,
"How stupid can you get?" is surely the question to put to the people responsible for this idea. Yet another example of totally uninformed politicians and bureaucrats acting without bothering to consult those who actually know about the subject and the consequences of such a move!
Victor Brand.
Victor Brand, BEDFORD, ENGLAND
Face it Britons. You are the Land of Woo. Two thirds of you believe in the paranormal so why support post-Enlightenment trash? Recycle the telescope into a homeopathic cure for hyperopia.
Jane Hilton, Perth, Australia
Ever since my father took his 8 year old son to see this amazing scientific construction, he wished and dreamed of it finding other Galaxies and even civilisations far away beyond our small planet.
That dream is still alive today, but the 8 year old boy is now a 52 year old man !
How many more youngsters had this same dream and now have had them let down by a short sighted Prime Minister ?
Are you Mr Brown, going to tell your children with pride
"I closed Jodrell Bank down to repair 1/2 mile of M25"
I am absolutely Disgusted with this government !
Robert Preston, Arbroath Angus, Scotland
Our government's current vendetta against astronomy is despicable, they really need to get their priorities straight if they actually intend people to vote for them. I cannot begin to comprehend the mentality against closing down such an important part of British scientific history, that is still producing useful science to this day for such a negligible saving.
Jonathan Lyman, Manchester, UK
Simply take some of the £25Bilion this pathetic government has sunk into Northern Rock!
Jafo, lanark,
Absolutely disgusting. This is just a manifestation of how much pure science is respected by those in power. If they want to save 2.5 million, how about switching of all street lights on minor roads in rural and suburban areas after 11.00pm till dawn?
Colin Henshaw, Tabuk, KSA
Close Jodrell Bank, for a miserly £2.5 million despite its discoveries, are ther people responsible for this suggestion empty headed, perhaps the lenses could be put to use to look inside thier heads.
W. Savin, Solihull, West Midlands
Clearly the New World Order has no place on its agenda for the kind of pure science which ironically made its ascent possible. The cost of the illegal war in Iraq could have funded a scientific renaissance in the West. But had anyone suggested it they would have been told that there was no money. The people who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing win again. I believe Orwell predicted this stagnation of technology and research in "1984".
Patrick McDonald, B.Sc., B.Ed., Toronto, Canada
It deeply saddens me that in one breath the government says they want to increase the numbers taking physical sciences at school and university, and in the next they say that they are going to shutdown some of the most exciting and inspirational facilities and research projects.
Shame on you, Labour.
George Darcy, Cardiff, UK
how can the government spend, say £100bn rescue-ing northern rock and then annouce they cannot find £2.5m-year to fund a very important field of science.isn't this country short of scientists?.shocking
richard smith, fareham, england
This false economy is just typical of a broken and incompetent Labour government. One can sense a hidden motive behind the telescope's closure: perhaps making way for a new eco town of cheap houses in the Tory heartlands of rural Cheshire that will be made available to idlers and migrants who'll all supposedly mindlessly vote for useless Labour. 2.5 million quid is peanuts! Could it be needed to fund the pointless forthcomming Olymic Games? Let a private education organisation operate Jodrell Bank - leave it alone. The new visitor centre will at last be at completed and will easily pay for itself when there's no interference by meddling target-setting, second-rate political jobsworths.
Vic, Buxton, UK
There is already a petition on the PM's website.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/jodrellfunding/
Alan C, Liverpool,
Gordon Brown and this Circus of Clowns he calls the goverment would do well to use that which they have between their ears,for their downfall is not far off come the next election.
People in this England of ours are just about at breaking point with the joke called the Labour party,if they continue to erode our ENGLISH heritage lifestile and culture.
BEWARE Brown,civil unrest is just around the corner....
Mike B, Lincoln, UK
Very sad day for British Science. It gets worse and worse.
Morrigan, Cardiff,
This is yet another demonstration by this Government and its minions that they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Robert, West Sussex,
I despair. The country is run by beancounter Broon and his scientifically illiterate cronies. I would write to my local MP but he probably thinks a pulsar is a nippy little hatchback.
Steve C, Stafford,
This sort of "cost saving" will turn out to be very costly indeed to Labour's fortunes unless they get their act together. Britain blindly gave away the crown jewels of computer chips, jet engines, motor manufacture, even space rockets (all areas in which Britain once led the world), and now we are about to throw in the towel for science more generally. Add to this the proposals for 42 days detention without charge and ID cards - surely New Labour's Poll Tax moment - and you can see why a new brain drain is underway.
Nullius, Beaconsfield, uk
No need to turn off the lights, the way we are going we will not be able to afford to pay for them.
John M Baker, Skegby, UK
I'm tired of this Government.
Martin, Nr Reading, UK
This is incredible. Another monstrous case of dumbing down. We are told that for a country like ours to survive in the global economy we need to be at the forefront of science and technology in order to add value.
Yet, we cannot spare a paltry sum to keep a world class facility and project running? What incentive is there for anyone youngster to study science?
The "science" curriculum in the state education sector is rapidly becoming a joke. Year 10 kids, barely literate in the fundamentals of science, "studying" "Life on Mars!" This is what when you get politicians (who of course need no expertise in anything other than liking to hear themselves talk) interferring with every aspect of national life.
The actions of recent governments, but especially this one, will damage the prosperity and social cohesion of this country for generations to come.
How much is a one-way ticket to Canada?
David, Harpenden, England
Just heard that the ill thought out ID cards will cost a BILLION(!) pounds less than thought. Obviously the government would rather know where you are now than where our origins are. For an administration whose watchwords were education(cubed) they are doing a damn poor job of maintaining our technological edge.
Graham, Fife, UK
Steve, Liverpool - You read my mind. I was thinking "I wonder if this is because its in the NW?". If it's true that funding has gone up, but this world class facility is going to close down, while others in the SE receive more money, then it makes me pretty sad.
Maybe it's another area which the SE can specialise in. After all, nothing else is specialised with down there and the lost jobs in the NW aren't really an issue. There's loads more high tech ones to go around.
I'm not sure what the government is playing at? But I'll be gone soon ,so won't really care. And I'd guess that in 10 years 50% of people with British passports will be living outside the UK. Its something like 10% already!
Jamie, Halifax, West Yorkshire
Didn't Gordon Brown just give an extra 800M in aid to India (a country that thinks it can afford a Space program). Nice to have the money to spare.
A Dilbert, London,
This is a step too far for me and cannot be allowed to happen. I have encouraged my daughter, starting her degree this year, to make a career in physics - what for!! Luckily she still has the option to take a maths degree and earn a lot of money in the city - that's the message this announcement sends out to all our young people. I agree, last one out turn off the lights.
Rob Johnson, Liverpool, Merseyside
The price of everything and the value of nothing.....I weep for the state of science in this country. There isn't much left of the nation's scientific family silver....most has already been sold to the highest bidder and too much of the rest is already in the pawn shop.
RL
richard lines, pershore, uk
Having read about the MPs and their pay recently, I think it only fitting that they should seriously considering contributing towards the costs of running this programme. 2.5 million promised a year is hardly too much compared to the costs of e.g. the Iraq war, the Olympics etc. There aren't enough scientists in the country as it is, why shut down more facilities?
Flipper, London,
I'm surprised that Times readers don't have more understanding of UK Science funding. The Government gave the funding council a 13%+ increase in the comprehensive spending review. The council in turn has chosen to redirect its investment from the Northwest and Scotland to the Southeast (the Diamond Light Source, ISIS etc). If the Government intervenes (as I hope it does) the Tories will be the first to start bleating, especially those in Oxfordshire.
Steve, Liverpool,
2.5million a year,maybe we can get MP's to fund it from their generous £160 a day proposed allowance by reducing it to say a mere £135 per day. I think that should cover it!
Gerry, Swindon, UK
This is the same headline grabbing Brown who announced a few weeks ago he would like a manned space programe. You cannot be taken seriously.
Adrian, aldershot, england
Not only is Jodrell Bank threatened with closure but there are massive job cuts at another North West Science Facility ran by the STFC, namely Daresbury Laboratory outside of Warrington. Several hundred scientists will be lost from Daresbury over the next few years.
It looks increasingly as if the North West research science base is no longer of importance to this government.
Mark, Chester, Cheshire
Here is how the UK government works:
£2.5million running costs of Jodrell Bank - far too expensive!
£12million child benefit for children living in Poland - no problem, how many children would you like to claim for?
Once again this government shows how useles it is.
Kevin Herbert, Greater Manchester, UK
Closing Jodrell Bank ? And only a month after it being proposed as a World Heritage Site and with the goverment's supposed emphasis on Physics education? A wonderful move to show the way to continue to lead the world in Astronomy
Ian, Congleton, Cheshire
Couldn't Gormless Gordon simply transfer some of the £750million he is wasting each year on trying to reduce the drop out from his "new universtities" on something useful?
Sorry! Silly idea! Shouldn't have mentioned it!
Mike Bibby, St ALbans, England -not EU
Would the last one out the country please turn off the lights!
Nick, London,
The Jodrell Bank Director is correct that this could essentially spell the end of an entire field of astronomy (radio). Alas, the proposed STFC cuts are not restricted to just one field. Indeed, under the proposed cuts, not only would a large fraction of radio astronomy come to an end, but so would essentially all computational/IT-related areas of astronomy. STFC proposed to remove support for the running costs of Jodrell Bank, but they are also proposing to remove support for the running costs of all supercomputers conducting simulations in support of the other facilities they are planning to retain. It seems difficult to reconcile the logic behind this decision, as well - High Performance Computing and large database management/manipulation is one of the UK's highest-impact areas of science, and contribute directly to a broad range of applied technology. Removing support for high performance computational astrophysics appears to be another disaster waiting to happen.
Brad Gibson, Preston, UK
its all about control, the government wants us to be cut off to the other planets, and why have they spent all that money to close it?, i will predict the military or some governing body will take over and use the equiptment in the battle for new world order
open your eyes see whats behind all the strange government policys and ideas!
uksucks, blackpool,
First we off-shored the call centres (low skill) then the medium to high skill areas followed.
Now we are off-shoring the cutting edge skills!
Last one out turn the lights off!
tim, Bournemouth,
Why do we allow the government, aka the BBC to pay a talentless celebrity £18 million to host a chat show when serious science is deprived of funds?
No wonder our children ignore the sciences.
The only credible jobs that appeal to them are celebrity, sport and if all else fails, a lifetime on benefits.
What a waste.
john wilson, leigh, england
Why do we need this?
More Northern Rocks I say!
Oh and Celebrity X Factor, Kirsty and Phil on location location..
Keep up the good work!
Austin Tassletine, South West, UK
What do you expect of a party (I demur to say "government") full of ignorant incompetents ?
Terry Dell, Weybridge, UK
How much money do they waste on unesscerary translation of forms etc and human rights claims?
Luke Nicolaides, London, UK
Shocking! Given how much ONE MP has managed to steal from the tax-payer, this is outrageous. This Government is run by imbeciles who think dumbing down the educational standards of this country so that media studies equates with physics is some form of egalitarianism. Vote Tory!
Vaseem, London, UK
This is terrible news. Does our government want us to become a third world country? Britain, and in many ways the Scots have made such huge contributions to science over the years. It would be tragic to shutdown radio astronomy in this country.
Why don't they put another pound on fags or booze and give this country truly world class science facilities. Last week they were touting the possibility of a UK space programme? Well, thats a laugh now isn't it?
Rebecca MacGregor, Birmingham, West Midlands
Lets make searching for radio signals an olympic sport - that way the £2.5m will seem peanuts when compared to the billions sponged up by London 2012
NIk P, London, England
What are you complaining about?
The money is needed so that the government can make the Key Workers even richer.
Leo, Manchester, England
Shut it down and get Stonehenge back online. Britain: leading from the rear!
David Masu, Zürich,
Yesterday's Times carried a story of our lords and masters chucking away six times that money on a quixotic project to re-open lost footpaths. The project had no success.
Frank Upton, Solihull,
This is appalling typical of the near focused approach of this government. Short term saving at any cost, and abandonment of the nation's children's future, which will be found in space. Why ever would they want to stay on this crummy planet??
John, Colchester,
The Government can easily afford to keep the site open, it can be funded by a cut in MP's allowances and a small slice of the extra 1.5bn that will be raised by the upcoming hikes in Petrol duty.
Rab, Glasgow,
This is so depressing!!! To take away Jodrell Bank would be a national disgrace. It´s an amazing and inspirational place: a national asset! This government is on a kamikazee course to destroy our scientific base (and a lot more by the looks of things!). WAKE UP BRITAIN!
Grant, Granada, SPAIN
"Per Ardua ad Astra" no more if the Government its way when man ceases on this planet and we cannot beat natures call in the end our telescope should be in the fore front for mans survival.
Who will be chosen to lead man to the stars, our leaders or the genetically perfect selected specialists from all walks of life
Peter Parkinson, Hastings, UK
Education, Education, Education!!
Where have we heard this?
Another nail in the Science Coffin, we are on the road to third world status that we will soon be unable to terminate.
Well done the government, they could not mind a quiet child.
Peter Winter, Sunderland, England
We are slowly evolving into a nation of imbeciles, so makes perfect sense to inject a large sum of money into something unique that has real purpose, with the intention of scraping it.
Tim W, london
tim, london, london
It's absolutely the sadest thing to see the authority anounce an end to the Merlin project, especially with 8 million pounds already injected, it's just gives me the same feeling as when we see a capital ship already in construction with its mighty keel already placed in the shipyard while the project is suddenly cancelled for the war is ended, and this time the death of the Merlin is even more catastrophic for there is no end on the road leading to a better understanding of the universe. Under no circumstance can we suspend such a state of art project unless if we have already accumulated enough evidence to prove the Merlin is not the leading force technologically speaking thus not worth more injection of budged, If we have no evidence that Merlin is outdated, we just have no excuses for not introducing it into active service.
Erich, Beijing, China
Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh.
Somebody stop this government from destroying what little pride we have left in this country.
To think that the potential is for jodrell bank to close for the cost of a midweek lottery jackpot, its enough to make you weep!
Oi! The Spotters, St Albans, England
Another example of the UK being governed by visionless, small-minded beancounters.
John D, Birmingham, UK
Not surprised. The UK is essentially bust. If it were a company it would be put into receivership.
DickW, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
When one looks at the things this government dismisses as "too expensive" such as Jodrell Bank and Legal Aid, compared to the billions it seems happy to throw at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, nuclear re-armament, Northern Rock etc., it seems that government is still firmly governed by the Peter Principle, a corollary of which, if I remember it, was that new bike sheds would always receive a more comprehensive debate than a new nuclear power plant.
RickH, Horley,
How terrible!
My family & I have visited Jodrell Bank many, many times when we've visited the UK & we've always had a fantastic day out - it's a marvellous educational trip for children & adults alike.
I think it show where the UK Gov. is at when they can spend equal amounts of money on prisoners who, after all, have done something wrong to begin with... maybe the UK could take a leaf out of Thailand's book & if anyone is bad, they're punished - not paid!
I hope many people can visit over the Easter break & give Jodrell Bank the fighting chance that it deserves.
Sarah, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Speechless!!
John Wood, Uxbridge, UK