UK can host US scientists dumped by Trump, Davey to tell Liberal Democrats

The UK should import US scientists whose cancer research projects have been cut by Donald Trump, Ed Davey is to argue at the Liberal Democrat conference, which has focused heavily on how the party can respond to hard-right populism.

- Peter Walker Senior political correspondent

In his closing speech today, Davey will also criticise Nigel Farage, saying the Reform UK conference had applauded the Trump administration's decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccines, which are being trialled as a way to offer personalised immunotherapy treatment for some cancers.

"It is hard to express the cruelty and stupidity of cutting off research into medicine that has the power to save so many lives," Davey is to tell the gathering in Bournemouth, adding: "A decision, by the way, that was enthusiastically applauded by Farage's party at their conference."

Davey has long been the strongest critic of Trump among the three main Westminster parties and has increasingly extended the criticism to Farage, a factor of the increasing competition the Lib Dems face from Farage's party.