Burnham urged to save Jodrell Bank as scientists warn of 'historic act of vandalism' Leading voices demand funding rethinkMore than 100 leading figures from the worlds of science, literature and the arts have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reverse funding cuts that threaten the future of Britain's world-famous Jodrell Bank Observatory. The growing campaign includes support from rock legends New Order, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who have written to ministers warning that allowing the observatory's radio telescope network to close would be a catastrophic mistake. Campaigners say shutting down the e-MERLIN radio telescope network to save just £2.8 million a year would be a short-sighted decision that would damage Britain's standing as a global scientific leader. 'The world's clearest eyes on the sky'In their letter to Burnham, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), supporters describe Jodrell Bank as one of "the world's clearest eyes on the sky". Located in Cheshire, the observatory is home to the iconic Grade I-listed Lovell Telescope, which famously tracked the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and has played a central role in some of astronomy's greatest discoveries. Today, the site remains at the forefront of deep-space research, helping scientists study distant galaxies, search for planets beyond our solar system and unravel the mysteries of the early universe. Funding axe threatens jobs and researchLast week UK Research and Innovation confirmed it will withdraw funding for the e-MERLIN network when its current agreement expires in March 2028. Unless alternative funding is found, observations at Jodrell Bank could cease altogether. The decision puts 28 specialist jobs at risk and will affect almost 3,000 researchers who rely on the facility. It also forms part of wider cuts across UK astronomy expected to cost around 800 jobs. The Science and Technology Facilities Council says it has been forced into painful savings because of rising operating costs, international commitments and budget pressures despite UKRI receiving an annual budget of almost £10 billion. Britain's space ambitions under threatSupporters argue the consequences extend far beyond astronomy. Jodrell Bank plays a key role in monitoring space debris, tracking dangerous asteroids, observing solar storms and supporting international scientific collaborations. The observatory also hosts the headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, one of the world's most ambitious astronomy projects, with giant telescopes being built in South Africa and Australia. Campaigners questioned the logic of celebrating future discoveries from a headquarters sitting beside what could become the world's largest abandoned radio telescope. More cuts across British astronomyJodrell Bank is not the only casualty. The UK's participation in Chile's new Rubin Observatory has been cut by 20%, funding for the Next-Generation Transit Survey has been slashed by 45%, and Britain is withdrawing from the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration that produced the first images of black holes. Scientists warn the combined reductions risk eroding decades of British leadership in space science and could leave the UK increasingly sidelined in some of the world's biggest international research projects. The STFC insists it carried out a rigorous review and says resources are being focused on programmes that will deliver the greatest long-term scientific value. But campaigners argue sacrificing one of Britain's greatest scientific landmarks for relatively modest savings would be a false economy with lasting consequences. SOURCE
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