General Election 2019 Statement

13 December 2019

Following the Conservative Party's victory in the 2019 General Election, Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group has issued the following statement:

On behalf of the Russell Group I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister and reaffirm our commitment to working with the Government to help create a dynamic economy, stronger communities and a positive future for the UK. The world-class research and education delivered by our 24 universities into every region and nation of the UK will play a vital role in meeting the challenges and embracing the opportunities of the coming years.

The conclusive General Election results indicate we can now look forward to a welcome period of political stability. This opportunity must not be wasted. The Government’s commitment to increasing R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP – and doubling public investment in research – will be crucial to ensuring the UK is at the forefront of new green technologies, new ways to deliver public services and new and improved treatments for conditions including cancer and dementia. It will also propel us into new frontiers in space, AI and energy, creating high value, highly-skilled jobs throughout the country.

Our universities not only deliver ground-breaking research and real world innovations, but the skilled graduates needed to harness them and to take on the jobs of the future. We are determined to continue improving access and participation in higher education, and will work with the Government to help young people realise their potential throughout the education system.

We will make the case for research and education collaboration with our European partners while also building strong new international partnerships with the backing of an outward-looking Government. We are ready to help shape the new immigration system to ensure we can attract more of the top staff and international students we need to succeed, while we will look to the Government to follow through on its commitments to EU citizens’ rights.

People and ideas are our strength. We must now be ambitious enough to capitalise on our advantages and we look forward to working with you to do so.