There’s nothing a politician likes better than a mantra – a phrase that can be repeated again and again until, possibly, thought becomes reality.
And one of the latest mantras to trip off the tongues of U.K. government ministers is “science superpower.” It’s been around for a while. In 2021, former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said his government’s aim was to restore Britain’s place as a scientific superpower. More recently – at the end of 2023, to be precise – Finance Minister, Jeremy Hunt told members of parliament that his goal was to ensure the U.K. could rival Silicon Valley. This year, the Prime Minister reorganized the machinery