Your leading article proclaims: "Research is a key ingredient of the new Europe now taking shape" ( THES , October 10). Presumably "new Europe" refers to an enlarged European Unions plus a constitution. The fact that the word "research" appears 28 times in the draft constitution seems weak evidence foryour "key ingredient" claim, but it is true that the EU is keen to spend our taxes on anything seen as furthering its military and political ambitions, especially if it destabilises funding arrangements in member states.
David Scott
Chester