Lib Dem leader urges discount visas for US cancer scientists amid anti-science push

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will call for the UK to offer discount visas to American cancer researchers whose work has been disrupted by the Trump administration, and to set up a fellowship scheme to help them move to Britain, during the party’s conference in Bournemouth.

Davey will frame the move as stepping into the vacuum created by an “anti-science agenda” in the United States, arguing that the UK should “step up and say: If Trump won't back this research, we will.” He will outline a plan to establish a fellowship program that would assist US scientists seeking to escape the US government’s stance on biomedical research. In his conference keynote on the final day, he is expected to press the case that the UK can lead the world in cancer research by welcoming researchers who find themselves cut off from funding and support at home. The plans are not accompanied by a disclosed discount level; the government has yet to specify what level of support would be offered to researchers seeking to come to the UK. Costs to purchase a visa can exceed £1,000, Lib Dem officials note, potentially shaping how the policy is framed if implemented.

The speech comes as Davey has sharpened his attacks on President Donald Trump and his allies this week, and as he brands Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as wanting to turn the UK into “Trump's America.” The Lib Dem leader’s rhetoric has become a central feature of the Bournemouth conference, where he is expected to portray the party as an alternative to a US-aligning right-wing coalition, while stressing a policy agenda centered on social care and other priorities.

In his remarks, Davey will argue that the UK should be “stepping into the vacuum left by Trump's anti-science agenda - leading the world in the fight against cancer,” and will criticize other groups for applauding developments in US science policy that he says undermine biomedical progress. He will specifically reference a February decision by the US government to cut billions of dollars from overheads in grants for biomedical research as part of broader cost-saving measures. Officials have argued the move was intended to ensure funds go toward direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overheads, but industry leaders counter that the cuts could slow cancer research, delaying breakthroughs for patients.

Clifford Hudis, chief executive of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said the US cut would be devastating to the pace and progress of cancer research in America. He warned that reducing federal support for cancer research at a time of rapid medical advances threatens to slow the translation of scientific discoveries into treatments that improve patient outcomes. In a Nature poll conducted after the announcements, 75% of readers indicated they were considering leaving the US to pursue opportunities in Europe or Canada because of the Trump administration’s science policy, underscoring the perceived “brain drain” that Davey’s plan seeks to capitalize on.

The Liberal Democrats have not detailed what level of visa discounts they would offer, nor which specific routes would be used to implement the policy. Meanwhile, the party has emphasized its broader critique of the US approach to science funding, arguing that other nations should fill the space created by the current administration’s stance. The plan also intersects with the party’s broader critique of the current UK government’s foreign policy and domestic spending decisions as the country prepares for local elections next year.

The conference has also featured criticism of other high-profile figures connected to tech and business. Davey has called on the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom to scrutinize Elon Musk’s social-media platform X, accusing the billionaire of “crimes” and incitement. In turn, Musk dismissed the Lib Dem leader as a “craven coward.” Asked about possible legal threats from Musk, Davey responded that he would face them, adding, “I don’t think he’ll win.”

The Lib Dems have built a reputation for stunts paired with a policy agenda aimed at social care and other priorities under Davey’s leadership. Last year’s general election yielded the party its best result in decades, with 72 seats in the House of Commons, a figure the party has used to press for greater influence in national politics. At Bournemouth, former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron also addressed members, urging them to reclaim patriotism from the far right as part of a broader attempt to frame the Lib Dems as the true guardians of national interests. The party’s leadership argues that this is a pivotal moment to define a distinct, principled alternative to both the Conservative government and its far-right challengers.

As the conference moves toward its closing stages, Davey is expected to press the case that science policy is inseparable from national security and public health, arguing that a UK-led effort to attract research talent could accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatment and other life-saving medical advances. The proposal reflects the Lib Dems’ broader strategy to position themselves as a party capable of delivering concrete, globally minded policy while confronting the political dynamics of a shifting international landscape.