The last scientist

by Ehsan Masood

 

The defeat of science stalwart Evan Harris is the big news so far for the research community from the 2010 UK general election.

 

In a cliff-hanger of a count, it emerged that Evan lost by just 176 votes to Conservative rival Nicola Blackwood in the Abingdon and Oxford West constituency.  Along with the retirement of fellow Lib Dem MP Phil Willis, whatever happens in the next few hours, science in the new parliament will have lost two of its biggest champions.

 

Speaking to the BBC’s Jeremy Paxman, Evan said that the result did come as a surprise. “A week ago, I did not expect to lose.”

 

Elsewhere, it was a better night for environmentalists. Caroline Lucas becomes Britain’s first Green Party member of Parliament, capping Green party representation in the Scottish Parliament and the London assembly. Millionaire Zac Goldsmith, former editor of The Ecologist magazine defeated Liberal Democrat incumbent Susan Kramer with a 4,000 majority.

 

Lucas said she would be more likely to support a left-wing coalition, but on a “case by case” basis, with green issues and social justice top of the party’s list of concerns. Goldsmith told the BBC he was “slightly taken aback” by the result, suggesting he did not expect to defeat  a popular sitting MP. Zac Goldsmith has turned out rather differently to his late father James Goldsmith who set up an anti-Europe political party and funded candidates to fight Tory seats in the 1992 general election.

 

David Lammy, minister for higher education, held onto his Tottenham seat; David Willetts, his Conservative shadow held onto Havant on the south coast. Ian Cawsey, Labour member of the S&T committee, was also re-elected. Labour social policy researcher Rachel Reeves was elected from Leeds, replacing the veteran John Battle.

 

Other big names who will not be returning to the Commons include the Lib Dems’ Lembit Opik. In a surprise exit, Charles Clarke, former Labour minister for education and at the Home Office, also lost his Norwich South seat. Clarke was part of the 1997 intake of MPs and was a close colleague of the biologist Ian Gibson, former chair of the Commons S&T committee. Gibson also joined in 97 and represented Norwich North before being forced out following the expenses debacle.  Also retiring is Patricia Hewitt, former trade secretary, and before that head of research at what is now Accenture. Clarke and Hewitt both began their careers in the private office of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock.