Chris McDonald has been appointed the next UK Minister for Science, taking over from Patrick Vallance who resigned last week, in a move that has been welcomed by industry stakeholders. The appointment comes under the newly formed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), which was created after Prime Minister Andy Burnham broadened the remit of the Department for Business and Trade to include the functions of the scrapped Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
McDonald previously served as Minister for Industry and parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Business and Trade. His promotion to the science brief follows Vallance's departure, which had caused anxiety within the science community. Vallance, who served as Chief Scientific Adviser to the government from 2018 to 2023, was highly regarded as a champion of the UK's science base.
“Chris McDonald appointed UK science minister after Patrick Vallance resigned last week.”
Dr Mark Effingham, deputy CEO of UK Biobank, said McDonald brings two decades of scientific industry experience to the role. He added that McDonald has a first-hand understanding of the UK science and technology sector’s vital role in driving regional and national economic growth. The appointment has helped calm concerns in the US science sector over Vallance's exit.