Davey: welcome US scientists fleeing Trump and make UK world leader in fight against cancer

EMBARGO: 00.01 Tuesday 23rd September

The Party Leader said it should form part of a plan to make cancer treatment a “top priority” which would include a “cast-iron guarantee" that each patient will start treatment within two months. He will recount the story of Ian Binns, who had spoken to Ed after waiting four months to start cancer treatment, by which point his tumour had become inoperable. Ian passed away earlier this year.

Ed will also urge cancer scientists in the US who have had their research cancelled by the Trump administration to “come here and finish it in the UK”. He will say this should be done by setting up a dedicated Cancer Research Fellowship Scheme under which scientists could come to work at research institutions in the UK without paying large Home Office visa fees.

The Liberal Democrat Leader will push for the Government to “step up and say: if Trump won’t back this research, we will”. He will call for a boost to cancer research funding, a rebuilding of the National Cancer Research Institute after the Conservatives shut it down, the passing of a Cancer Survival Research Act to enshrine in law funding for research into the deadliest cancers, and investment in mRNA vaccine research.

Ed will call out the “totally false conspiracy theories” peddled by the Trump administration and criticise Reform for when they “enthusiastically applauded” the cancellation of key cancer research grants at their party conference. This “vacuum left by Trump’s anti-science agenda” should be filled by Britain, Ed will say, and that by doing so Britain would be “delivering on the promise of the NHS” and would be “leading the world in the fight against cancer”.

On Donald Trump cutting cancer research grants, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“But I’m afraid the biggest threat to the fight against cancer isn’t our government’s timidity or delay – disappointing though that is. No. It’s what’s happening on the other side of the Atlantic.

“Because the United States is by far the world’s biggest funder of cancer research – mostly through its National Cancer Institute. But since Donald Trump returned to the White House, he has cancelled hundreds of grants for cancer research projects.

“He’s slashing billions of dollars from the National Cancer Institute’s budget. He’s even ordered a review of all grants for research involving supposedly ‘woke’ keywords – including the word ‘women’.

“And last month, Trump’s Health Secretary – Robert Kennedy Jr – cancelled half a billion dollars’ worth of research into mRNA vaccines. He did it based on totally false conspiracy theories about these life-saving vaccines. The same type of vaccines that protected us from Covid just a few years ago.”

On Reform’s Autumn Conference applauding the decision to cut research in mRNA vaccines, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“It is hard to express the cruelty and stupidity of cutting off research into medicine that has the power to save so many lives. A decision – by the way – that was enthusiastically applauded by Farage’s party at their conference. I don’t think we should let the Trump Administration hold back progress on tackling cancer like this.”

On boosting cancer research in the UK, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“The UK should step up and say: if Trump won’t back this research, we will. We’ll boost funding for cancer research in the UK. We’ll rebuild a National Cancer Research Institute after it was closed under the Conservatives, to coordinate research and drive it forward.

“We’ll pass a Cancer Survival Research Act to ensure funding for research into the deadliest cancers. We’ll invest in mRNA vaccines and explore their potential for treating cancer to the full.”

On creating a dedicated fellowship scheme for US cancer researchers, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“To the cancer scientists in the US who have had their research stopped by Trump, let’s say: come here, and finish it in the UK. We’ll set up a dedicated fellowship scheme for you, and we won’t let extortionate Home Office fees stand in your way.”

On Britain leading the world on cancer research, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“The United Kingdom, stepping into the vacuum left by Trump’s anti-science agenda. Leading the world in the fight against cancer.

“And giving patients real hope, with the treatment they need. Britain, delivering on the promise of the NHS. A caring country. A healthy country. A great country. That is the kind of country we want to be.”

On Ian’s story and a two month cancer treatment guarantee, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“When we were here in Bournemouth two years ago, I told you about an engineer called Ian. From Nottingham, like me. Who lost both his parents to cancer when he was young, like me. Ian had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. A small stage-one tumor – operable. But he was kept waiting four months before starting any treatment. His cancer progressed to stage four and spread to his liver – inoperable.

“I said then that we owed Ian better than that. I said we would make cancer a top priority. And when we launched our manifesto last year, I got a lovely message from Ian. He told me how pleased he was that we had included a cast-iron guarantee for every cancer patient to start urgent treatment within two months.

“‘Please keep pushing this,’ he wrote. And we have. In March, I got another message – this time from Ian’s best friend. To say Ian had sadly passed away.”

ENDS