Britain’s science facilities are facing cuts we cannot afford to make

The first time I encountered the idea of dark matter, it felt more like science fiction than science itself.

Long before entering parliament, I created a children’s television series called The Sparticle Mystery, inspired by particle physics and the biggest questions humanity can ask. Researching the programme took me into the world of CERN, particle accelerators and the mysteries of the cosmos. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became by a question that has perplexed scientists for decades: what is most of the universe made of?

Dark matter is believed to make up around 85%. We know it has shaped the cosmos, yet we have never directly detected it. Doing so would rank among the most significant scientific breakthroughs ever.

What I didn’t know back then was that one of the centres leading the race to detect dark matter would one day sit on my parliamentary doorstep. As the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, I’m fortunate to represent an area near one of the UK’s most remarkable scientific assets. Located between Whitby and Saltburn, the polyhalite mine beneath which Boulby Underground Laboratory sits lies within my Labour Party colleague Luke Myer’s constituency and just on the edge of mine. Built over a kilometre below the earth’s surface, it is the country’s only facility of its kind and among only a handful in the world.

That, pardon the expression, matters. Boulby Lab stands at the centre of an international competition to host XLZD; a billion-dollar project that would create the most sensitive dark matter detector ever built. The scientific prize is enormous and could well lead to a Nobel Prize.

Which is why the current situation is difficult to comprehend.

Despite Boulby’s extraordinary scientific credentials and economic potential, it’s facing reductions of around 40 per cent to its operating budget. These cuts form part of a wider exercise affecting several major UK science facilities and research programmes.

For Boulby, however, the consequences could be particularly severe.

A facility with significant fixed operating costs has limited options when funding is reduced. The inevitable result is pressure on staffing and future expansion. At precisely the moment when Boulby Lab should be presenting itself as a stable host for XLZD, it faces uncertainty instead.

That’s not only disappointing, it’s counterproductive too.

Preparations for XLZD have been underway for years. Tens of millions of pounds have already been invested. The UK should be making the strongest possible case for hosting this globally significant experiment. Instead, these proposed cuts risk sending precisely the wrong signal. Boulby Lab has already made an enormous contribution to the search for dark matter, developing the ZEPLIN technology, used in many experiments today.

The implications of these cuts extend beyond a single laboratory. Leading physicists have warned that cumulative reductions across major facilities threaten the UK’s wider research ecosystem and international standing.

Scientific leadership cannot be switched on and off. It takes decades to build expertise, infrastructure and global partnerships. Once lost, those can be impossible to rebuild.

My first visit to Boulby Lab is something I’ll never forget.

After descending deep underground in a small lift, I emerged into a pristine laboratory that seemed entirely disconnected from the mine surrounding it. It felt like stepping onto a film set. Yet the research taking place there is very, very real.

Boulby Lab’s depth creates one of the quietest scientific environments on Earth. Shielded from cosmic radiation and other background interference, it provides the ideal conditions to search for dark matter. The UK has a genuine opportunity to make one of the defining scientific discoveries of our age from deep beneath the North Yorkshire coastline.

The case for Boulby Lab extends far beyond science, though.

Its proposed expansion and the construction of XLZD represent one of the biggest economic development opportunities currently available to both the North East and North Yorkshire. Independent analysis estimates that pursuing XLZD at Boulby could contribute around £587 million to the national economy through construction, highly skilled employment, increased demand across supply chains and international investment. For a region that’s often struggled to attract high-value employment opportunities, that could be transformational.

XLZD would create precisely the sort of jobs that encourage talented young people to stay, build careers and raise families locally rather than moving elsewhere. Boulby Lab also has ambitious plans to expand skills development, bolster partnerships with industry and increase STEM outreach across the region.

Alongside this, proposals for a visitor and education centre could create a unique attraction celebrating the North East’s contribution to scientific discovery. The resulting boost to tourism, hospitality and retail would ensure the benefits extend far beyond Boulby Lab itself.

This is not simply about protecting one laboratory. It is about deciding what kind of country we want to be – if we want the UK to remain a world leader in scientific discovery and whether we believe economic growth should reach every part of the country.

If the answer to those questions is “Yes” then Boulby Lab shouldn’t be fighting for its future. It should be backed. Failing to do so would be turning our back on a once-in-a-generation chance and, as a result, a profound mistake.

The search for dark matter may be about understanding the universe, but the case for supporting Boulby Lab is much closer to home. It’s about jobs, growth, opportunity and cementing our place in the world. Most of all, it’s about ensuring one of the greatest discoveries of the century carries a British signature.