Hi all,
It's great to see everyone getting involved in the discussion here, the issue is clearly of interest to many of you! In advance of the event, I have written a short blog post on the Society of Biology website which contextualises the issue a little. http://societyofbiologyblog.org/do-we-need-more-scientists-in-parliament/
If you are unable to make it to the event but still want to share your views with the panel, you should be aware that comments on the blog post will be seen by panellists. Feel free to repeat any important points you may have already made on the mailing list, if you want to be sure that the panellists see them!
I would also like to clarify one thing which has been brought up on this mailing list a few times: the word 'technician'. Andrew Miller MP, who chairs a number of scientific committees, is himself a former laboratory technician. He spent a decade working as a lab technician in Portsmouth Polytechnic's geology department before getting into politics. Here is how he described this part of his career to me:
"Well, I literally started from school as the bottle-washer, and when I left I had built one of the most sophisticated X-ray labs in any geology department. I was working with manufacturers and designers, and developing XRF and XRD technologies. I did a lot of work providing analytical services to academics there, some of which has been cited in learned papers. So, although not a qualified scientist, I reckon I've done my bit."
So for those of you discussing technicians in Parliament, rest assured that the Labour party isn't completely devoid of them just yet!
Best regards,
Harry
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