Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has resigned from the Westminster government after Rishi Sunak became prime minister, ending his brief responsibility for research funding and energy policy.
Mr Rees-Mogg, appointed to the post on 6 September, had been a supporter of former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, and had vocally called for the latter to return after the chaotic resignation of the former.
The end of the arch-Brexiteer’s spell in office could raise hopes for more active ministerial support of the potential for UK association to Horizon Europe, the European Union’s research programme.
Despite being secretary of state in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Mr Rees-Mogg was seen as having a “laissez faire” ideology unlikely to chime with industrial strategy and using research spending to drive growth in the regions.
Climate scientists also expressed horror at his appointment as the secretary of state overseeing UK energy policy, warning that having Mr Rees-Mogg – who has repeatedly questioned the scientific consensus behind climate change – would make it even harder to turn academic research into urgently needed policies.
The university and research sectors will hope his successor, yet to be announced by Mr Sunak, brings a more favourable climate on all fronts.
