Nicola Blackwood: parliament may look like a pantomime, but behind the scenes Brexit planning has begun

LIKE me, many Oxfordshire residents were fervent Remainers and will have shared my shock at the outcome of the EU referendum. Others believed strongly in Brexit, and perhaps they were surprised too. No matter how we labelled ourselves during the campaign and how we voted, though, it’s time now to come together and focus on the way forward.

I don't believe things will be as dismal as Remainers forecast, or as simple as Leavers hoped, but I am confident that we will rise to the challenge, we must.

After a tumultuous few weeks of resignations, back room rumours and attempted coups you'd be forgiven for assuming that politicians are too distracted by the soap opera of party politics to remember we not only have a Brexit deal to negotiate but also a country to run. But you'd be wrong.

The UK’s world-leading scientists and innovators are directly affected by EU funding, collaboration and free movement implications of the negotiation which is coming and are understandably anxious in the face of this uncertainty. So the Science and Technology Committee have got straight to work, launching an inquiry to gather evidence and produce a detailed analysis of next steps, risks and opportunities for our science and innovation sector. We’re pulling together a ‘to do’ list for the Government, and the incoming Prime Minister, that we can hold them to as the negotiations begin. The interests of science and research mustn’t be lost in the noise of the wider immigration, sovereignty and trade debates.

We have been taking evidence from leading academics and university representatives, including the president of the Swiss Research Fund who flew in specially to explain how the much-cited Swiss relationship with the EU works in the context of science and research. We want to understand the practical implications of Brexit for our science and innovation ecosystem.

Here in Oxfordshire, we know the value that investment in science brings to the local economy. Oxfordshire has unique academic, ‘big science’ and tech credentials that are driving discovery and growth; with inspiring research and innovation underway at Harwell and Culham as well as a growing biotech cluster in Oxford. The Government needs to get a good Brexit deal for science to make sure that world-leading science continues to flourish in Oxfordshire, and across the country.

Our inquiry won’t solve Brexit. I don’t think even our most distinguished witness will have all the answers yet. What our inquiry will do is identify the questions that need to be asked, the key priorities for negotiations and zero in on the main risks and opportunities.

It’s clear to me that the message needs to go out straight away to our scientists and their collaborators in Europe that the UK remains firmly open for business as a willing and reliable partner.