A new national maths academy championed by Rishi Sunak has been quietly scrapped by the Government, angering academics.
In May, Mr Sunak invited organisations to apply to set up a national academy for maths that would make numeracy as important as reading and prepare workers for jobs in artificial intelligence (AI), data science and computing.
It would have become the fifth UK national academy, joining The Academy of Medical Sciences, The British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.
But on Thursday, it emerged that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) had withdrawn the scheme, despite a number of applications already being submitted.
Prof Jens Marklof, the president of the London Mathematical Society and spokesman for the Campaign for Mathematical Sciences, said: "The decision to cancel funding for the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences is very disappointing.
"Funding for the Academy could be a huge driver of economic growth by improving the flow of mathematical analysis, cutting-edge research and technological innovation into policymaking.
"The Government's announcement pledges to explore other ways to promote and support mathematics, so we hope to engage with them on this as soon as possible."
The Telegraph understands that academics are concerned that Labour is choosing to defund mathematics because it was a pet project of Mr Sunak.
It was a personal goal of the former prime minister to boost maths skills and the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences was intended to build on plans to make teenagers study the subject up to the age of 18.
Mr Sunak has previously warned that the UK has an "anti-maths mindset" where poor attainment in the discipline is regarded as "socially acceptable".
He vowed that the academy would transform the national approach to maths and "discover the Alan Turings of tomorrow".
Although the UK has risen 10 places in international league tables since 2009, more than eight million adults in Britain have numeracy skills below those expected of a nine-year-old and around one-third of young people fail GCSE maths.
Academics have warned that "maths deserts" are forming at British universities because of cuts, meaning that aspiring maths teachers can no longer study the subject beyond A-levels in their region.
The previous government also said that the academy would be expected to provide "credible, expert and timely" advice on maths to the Government and industry, to help shape policy, and drive discoveries that will help the country be "healthier and wealthier".
During the pandemic, the former government relied heavily on mathematical modelling from individual organisations such as Imperial College and the University of Bristol, but the sector has voiced support for an organisation to take the lead.
The Government said that rather than setting up the academy, it was looking forward to working with the sector to develop Skills England, a new body which was announced by Keir Starmer in July
A government spokesman said: "The Government wants to better support activity across the UK mathematical sciences sector in ways that best deliver for taxpayers and without the time and expense required to support the set-up of a new organisation.
"Substantive action rather than an additional academy represents the most effective way forward to ensure maths supports our missions.
"We recognise the sector's vast contribution to the study and promotion of mathematical sciences from advising government and business to sharing expertise that underpins the innovation and scientific discovery that helps our country's economy advance."