Jodrell Bank Telescope

Jodrell Bank is set to lose the £2.8 million of its annual funding from the UK government. 

The observatory was built in 1957. People could be forgiven for thinking that a much newer telescope is superior, that Jodrell Bank is merely "iconic," and an antique.

However, Jodrell Bank remains at the cutting edge of scientific research and it is also major contributor to the wider scienfic community. 

The £2.8 million funding element that the UK government is cutting helps the observatory remain connected with e-MERLIN. e-MERLIN is a network of seven radio telescopes. To quote the eminent, award winning science writer, Brian Clegg, "real science is being lost to save the £2.8 million going to e-MERLIN."

The tragedy is that many people regard the closure as being inevitable. They believe we are science also-rans. Nothing could be further from the truth. The UK excels at science. 

Every year, the UK government writes off an (unfunded) £100 billion per year to a special project that harms all kinds of enterprises up and down the country. A sort of reverse Midas you might say.

It's called Brexit. 

That being said, I'd still much rather you signed the petition opposing the closure of Jodrell Bank. 

THE FARAGE FACTOR

According to a very recent YouGov report, Nigel Farage (or Nigel Mirage if you live in Clacton!) seems to have passed the point of no return. Barring miracles, he surely now cannot make it to Prime Minister. 

69% of Britons now hold an unfavourable view of the Clacton MP. 

His approval rating is now -17%. 

Farage believed that by resigning his own seat and then holding the by election, the citizens of Clacton would, in effect, ratify his "right" to keep the £5 million. What was the donation for? In one interview it was for his security, then in another it was a reward because of his Brexit "present" to the UK.

Some present! Brexit has cost the UK economy about 6% of GDP over the past decade, according to a 2026 Bank of England–backed study using company-level data.

The same YouGov article, by way of a contrast, reports that Prime Minister, Andy Burnham is enjoying the highest favourability rating of any prime minister, 46%, for more than 6 years. By any standards, he's off to a solid start. It seems Labours' big gamble paid off. No pun intended. 

You can read the YouGov article here. 

38Degrees has published a petition entitled Take Big Money Out of Our Politics. 

As if the £5 million donation wasn't enough. Farage seems to believe the by-election victory will also make the investigation go away. 

Now a donation of £72 million has been offered to Reform UK, which, from billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, according them, merely “levels the playing field” with the bigger parties when it comes to funding.

Is there going to be another by-election in Clacton to ratify this gift of £72 million to Reform UK?

The petition is here, if you'd like to look at it.