Outrage as PM’s adviser outed as science advisory group attendee
Researchers have reacted with surprise and confusion after the prime minister’s most powerful political adviser was revealed as having attended meetings of the independent scientific advisory group shaping the UK’s coronavirus response.
Amid growing disquiet over the government’s refusal to reveal the full list of members of its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, the Guardian newspaper reported late on Friday that Dominic Cummings had attended Sage meetings related to the Covid-19 crisis.
Although Cummings (pictured, right) has a long-standing interest in research policy, his political role and lack of a scientific background raised immediate questions about how and why he came to attend Sage meetings.
Former chief scientific adviser David King said that while non-scientists did attend similar meetings during his time, these were never political special advisers such as Cummings.
“Let me be clear on this, the chief scientific adviser’s role is to distil information from experts on Sage and inform government,” he said via Twitter. “If a Spad is sitting on Sage it’s a fair assumption that they are at least in part playing this role, one which it’s simply inappropriate and wrong for them to be playing.”
Exactly what role Cummings was playing at Sage meetings is currently unclear.
A government spokesperson told the Guardian that it was not true that Cummings was “on” or a member of Sage. They said he attended some meetings and listened to some virtual meetings and “occasionally” asks questions and offers help with Whitehall issues.
Derek Hill, a medical imaging expert at University College London and an adviser to David Cameron’s government, said it was “both reasonable and appropriate” for Number 10 advisers to be observers at meetings.
“The question here is whether Cummings not only attends but actively participates in Sage,” he said, in comments distributed via the Science Media Centre. “For example, does he talk more at these meetings than some of the scientists?”
Til Wykes, a mental health researcher at King’s College London, added, “If he was not just an observer and took part in those meetings, that is outrageous. We need impartial scientific advice as that boosts public confidence in all political decisions. That can never happen if there is a ‘politician’ at the table asking questions.”
Attention is also turning to the government’s current chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance (pictured, left), who chairs Sage.
James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at the University of Sheffield, tweeted that if the reason the government has been secretive about the Sage process during the coronavirus was due to the presence of Cummings, then Vallance should resign.
Vallance has previously said the secrecy is based upon advice from the Centre for National Infrastructure Protection.