Boris Johnson’s speech praises ‘science innovation capitalism’

Conservative conference: prime minister says “companies, shareholders, and bankers” made the Oxford Covid vaccine possible

Prime minister Boris Johnson has hailed “science innovation capitalism” in a speech that was otherwise light on research and development.

In his closing address to the Conservative Party conference on 6 October, Johnson said it was “capitalism that ensured we had a vaccine in less than a year”, and he praised the “magic potion” of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.