The new Labour government has axed a planned £800 million supercomputer announced by the Conservatives that would have been 50 times more powerful than any other computer in the UK.
The cancellation is a part of a £1.3 billion funding cut that will also see a £500 million AI project pulled.
It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned the economic situation left by the previous government was worse than expected, as the government prioritises election pledges such as reaching a deal with striking junior doctors.
The plans were unveiled less than 12 months ago by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
But the current Secretary of State Peter Kyle has announced they will no longer go ahead with the department saying Rishi Sunak‘s government had not budgeted for them.
The new Labour government has axed a planned £800 million supercomputer announced by the Conservatives
It had been hoped the computer would help scientists speed up their research in important areas including medicines and nuclear fusion
The supercomputer, or exascale, would have been based in Edinburgh and was described by the Tories as ‘next generation’ and ‘game-changing’.
It had been hoped the computer would help scientists speed up their research in important areas including medicines and nuclear fusion.
All those affected by the decision have been informed by Mr Kyle, it is understood, but the BBC reports Edinburgh University has already spent more than £30 million building a casing for the new model.
The UK already hosts supercomputers in Edinburgh and Bristol, with only a handful of exascale models in the world.
The Conservatives’ shadow minister Andrew Griffith did not comment on claims the project was ‘unfunded’, but said: ‘As a point of fact, at the time the election was called, ministers had been advised by officials that the department was likely to underspend its budget for the current financial year.’
The University of Edinburgh told MailOnline it is urgently seeking a meeting with Mr Kyle.
A spokesperson added: ‘The University of Edinburgh has led the way in supercomputing within the UK for decades, and is ready to work with the government to support the next phase of this technology in the UK, in order to unlock its benefits for industry, public services and society.’
The University’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, is urgently seeking a meeting with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
In a statement, a DSIT spokesperson said: ‘The government is taking difficult and necessary spending decisions across all departments in the face of billions of pounds of unfunded commitments.
‘This is essential to restore economic stability and deliver our national mission for growth.’
