Irrational and emotional protests against biotechnology and animal experiments are jeopardising Europe鈥檚 future prosperity, says British prime minister, Tony Blair.
Blair attacked the activities of the protestors in a major speech at London鈥檚 Royal Society, aimed at boosting the morale of Britain鈥檚 mainstream scientists and at attracting others from abroad.
鈥淭here is only a small band of people, I believe, who genuinely want to stifle informed debate,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut a small group can, as has happened in our country, destroy experimental crops before we can determine their environmental impact.鈥�
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鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what that research would have concluded, and neither do the protestors,鈥� said Blair. 鈥淏ut I want to reach my judgments after I have the facts, not before.鈥�
Similarly, he attacked animal rights campaigners for protesting against legitimate experiments on animals, and for opposing a proposed new centre for neurological research in Cambridge to seek cures for Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚. 鈥淲e cannot have vital work stifled simply because it鈥檚 controversial,鈥� said Blair.
鈥淧ublic interest over profits鈥�
However, the targets of Blair鈥檚 speech accused him of backing science that boosts industry, but ignoring science that stands in its way.
鈥淭he vast majority of the British public, environmentalists, organic farmers and businesses, are pro-science,鈥� says Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association. 鈥淏ut this doesn鈥檛 mean we have to agree that Monsanto, Tony Blair and pro-GM scientists should run our lives and decide what we eat鈥�.
Sue Mayer of the lobby group GeneWatch agrees: 鈥淭he government must fund science in the public interest, not just to support the biotechnology industry鈥檚 profits.鈥�
Soft on science
Blair said that the impetus for his speech came during a visit to India. His hosts in Bangalore shocked him by claiming that Europe appeared to be allowing the protestors to run the show.
鈥淭hey said to me bluntly: 鈥楨urope has gone soft on science; we are going to leapfrog you and you are going to miss out鈥�,鈥� said Blair. 鈥淭hey regarded the debate on GM [foods] here and elsewhere in Europe as utterly astonishing.鈥�
鈥淭hey saw us as completely overrun by protestors and pressure groups who used emotion to drive out reason,鈥� said the prime minister. 鈥淎nd they didn鈥檛 think we had the political will to stand up for proper science.鈥�
To counter the impact of the protestors, Blair wants Britain to 鈥渆mbed a more mature attitude towards science in our society鈥�. He says we should choose the path of being a nation 鈥渁t ease鈥� with radical knowledge, not 鈥渢imid鈥� or 鈥渇earful of the future鈥�.
鈥淢y plea is simple: let the debate be one between open minds, not a retreat into a culture of unreason,鈥� said the PM. 鈥淚 want to prove those entrepreneurs in Bangalore wrong.鈥�
