Amazing, now I've really seen Thatcher blamed for everything. The problem of false scientific claims is global. The UK is by far not the worst offender (mostly

Amazing, now I've really seen Thatcher blamed for everything. The problem of false scientific claims is global. The UK is by far not the worst offender (mostly places like Iran, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China are worst affected by paper mills to pick one problem...). And university funding has been tied to research everywhere for decades. It's really got nothing to do with Thatcher. Really, under an actually libertarian government university research wouldn't be funded at all. From their perspective companies are more than capable of doing research and the patent system encourages publication.