Apologies if the title is slightly provocative but I was spurred to write this when I read
this diary publicising a rally in California tomorrow (Monday 30th October) in support of John Garamendi's run for office as Lieutenant Governor of California - his opponent Tom McClintock, opposes California's research so much he calls it "snake oil" apparently, and if elected would presumably do everything in his power to block such research from happening.
But while that outcome may be a bad thing from the point of view of Mr Garamendi, his supporters, most Kossacks here and sick people everywhere, for me there would be a huge silver lining if McClintock did achieve his aim.
Why? Because I live in the United Kingdom and we're about to pour billions of dollars of investment into biotechnology, specifically targeting stem cell research as something that could not just alleviate suffering but also reap huge economic benefits for our economy in the future. As Alastair Darling, a senior member of Blair's Government put it this way in a recent speech:
Stem cell research....has tremendous potential to benefit patients with conditions that currently have no effective cure. From juvenile diabetes to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, to spinal cord injury.
The US Government has blocked federal funding for stem cell research. It may not be welcome there but stem cell research IS welcome in the UK. With your courage and skills, and our financial backing, we can ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of this area.
The UK Stem Cell Initiative report, published last year, provides a clear vision for maintaining our position as a world leader in research and provides a path to translate this research into new therapies to benefit patients. This includes £100 million government funding over the next two years.
The full speech entitled "Science is vital for our future" was delivered to the prestigeous Royal Society last week, and lays great emphasis not just on innovation but on development and expoitation of new technologies. For example:
Our record of scientific discovery is one of the best in the world underpinning our future prosperity.
With just one per cent of the world's population, we produce nine per cent of all scientific papers and receive 12 per cent of all citations, including 13 per cent of the most highly cited ones. We are also ranked first in terms of papers and citations per head in the G7.
But being good at science is just the start. It's what you do with it that matters.
If we are to truly compete in the global economy, then we need to do more to transfer knowledge from the laboratory to the market place.
And today's scientists are becoming partners to business, devising new and more productive ways of working, to take discoveries off the drawing board and onto the shop shelves.
In the coming years, the countries that will prosper will be those that can compete not just on intellectual strength but on high technology.
Those that can attract the highest-skilled people. Who have the potential to innovate. And, most importantly, those that can turn that good science into good commercial opportunity.
That's where government will focus its resources in the future. Driving on initiatives like Higher Education Innovation Fund and the Technology Strategy Board.
HEIF provides £110 million a year to universities, to help them to develop links between their research base and business. Such has been its success in the last three years alone, 25 university spin-out companies - now valued at £1.5 billion - have been floated on the stock market. A great return on our investment. And a great result for British research.
As a country that suffered from the "Brain Drain" for many years after the end of WWII with many of our best scientists leaving for lucrative and well-funded research positions elsewhere (usually in the US) it would be ironic indeed if narrow-minded political decisions in America conspired with our Government's aspirations to throw that trend into full reverse!
As I see it, the emotional argument for stem cells has been won with the Michael J Fox ad but if you can also drive home the economic argument for it, it reinforces the message AND helps drive a wedge into the support Republicans get from big business - which I imagine is a major factor in California.....