User:Cgrosvenor/Scientists For EU

Scientists for EU (SfEU) is a UK pro-European Union, anti-Brexit advocacy group focused on science, innovation and higher education. It is one of associated with the group of People%27s_Vote campaign collaborating groups.

History
Scientists for EU launched on Facebook and Twitter on May 8th 2015, the day David Cameron won the General Election of 2015. The campaign was spun out of the campaign group Scientists for Labour by Dr Mike Galsworthy and Dr Rob Davidson, who then became the co-directors.

On May 22nd 2015, Galsworthy & Davidson wrote a letter to the editor of The Times highlighting their rapid social media following and stating the purpose of the campaign. The letter was co-signed by leading UK scientists such as Sir Paul Nurse, Dame Athene Donald, the Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees, Sir Tom Blundell and the editor-in-chief of Nature Sir Philip Campbell.

On October 9th 2015, SfEU officially launched their website, announcing it jointly in City AM and The Guardian. The campaign announced its cross-party advisory board of pro-science MPs and leading UK scientists including Prof Dame Anne Glover, Sir Tom Blundell and Lord Martin Rees.

The group contributed written and oral testimony to the 2015-2016 House of Lords inquiry into UK science and EU membership. The group also advocated Remain across mainstream media . In June 2016, they gathered signatures from over 5,000 scientists for a letter supporting a Remain vote

In early 2016, Drs Mike Galsworthy & Rob Davidson collaborated with Prof Martin McKee to spin out a new campaign called “Healthier IN the EU”. On April 4, 2016 they led a letter of 200 health professionals in The Times declaring that “Brexit should carry a health warning”. HealthierIN also acquired an advisory board (link) of top health professionals and website, Facebook & Twitter presence (links).

Scientists for EU officially spent £198,664 during the EU referendum campaign. Following the referendum, the group surveyed the science community to document damage to UK science caused by the vote to leave the EU. The testimonials were widely reported through the media. The group also wrote plans for a UK-EU science relationship following Brexit.

During 2017, Scientists for EU continued to grow on social media. Dr Mike Galsworthy’s hundreds of Facebook videos commentating on the Brexit process have had many millions of views.

In April 2018 it joined the People's Vote to campaign for a second vote.