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The Guardian (Free subscription) | yesterday
David Cameron's concern over loss of sovereignty has led opponents to accuse him of endangering public safety by questioning the European arrest warrants that fast-track extradition requests The Tories are to consider pulling out of the EU's fast-track extradition scheme, which helped bring failed London bomber Hussain Osman to justice, as part of their battle to resist further transfer of sovereignty...
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Working Class Tory (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
Another interesting thing to emerge from the David Cameron interview I pointed out earlier is his religion: "I've a sort of fairly classic Church of England faith, a faith that grows hotter and colder by moments but...I suppose I sort of started life believing that one's individual faith was important, but actually the institutions of the church were less important. "I do think that organised...
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Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
It is a rough week to be an advising expert. David Nutt, chair of the UK Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), was relieved of his duties earlier this week, as I mentioned here . Simon Jenkins at The Guardian has a valuable perspective : Researching drug use is pointless since policy on the subject has nothing to do with evidence, only emotion. It has to do with fear of the unknown, the...
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Labour Matters (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
When the Conservative shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, claimed “The Wire has become a part of life in this country, too” he was widely ridiculed for comparing British cities with Baltimore, where the TV show is set. The most stinging critism however came some time afterwards, and so received a little less attention in the media. [...]
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Silent Words Speak Loudest (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009
Quote of the day " I think the scientific evidence is absolutely clear cut. I would agree with it ". Professor John Beddington, chief science adviser to the government, backs the view of Professor David Nutt, ex chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. The Lib Dems' Chris Huhne asked the pertinent question in the wake of...
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The Melangerie (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009
The sacking of Professor David Nutt ( news ) over government drugs policy is an interesting little one, for it reveals unspoken assumptions about the nature and benefits of democratic government. Those who most strongly opposed the sacking of Prof. Nutt did so because, in their view, his advice ought to form the basis of government policy, and it is madness to go against a scientist's advice. As a...
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The Guardian (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009
Fear of perceived attack from the rightwing press has prevented serious discussion. The time has come to break the taboo Even Alan Johnson must know his sacking of David Nutt was a mistake. The boast that he was being " big enough, strong enough, bold enough " to make such decisions was a gift to the gods of hypocrisy. If he was that big and strong he would have ignored Nutt and not pretended...
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John Rentoul (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009
"He needs to give us a sign," said some Labour MPs at the low point of the AJ4PM campaign around the time of Labour conference. The complaint was that the Home Secretary was taking modesty to a counter-productive extreme. Well, they have two signs now. Alan Johnson's robust dismissal of a drugs adviser who used his position to campaign against Government policy lifted the spirits of the vast...
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Mark Reckons (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009
Sometimes I disagree with things that MPs and other representatives of my party say. Yesterday's debate in parliament about the dismissal of Professor Nutt from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs was not one of those occasions. Instead as each Lib Dem MP popped up to make their contribution I found myself feeling more and more proud. Alan Johnson the Home Secretary, Chris Grayling his shadow...
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Andrew Allison (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
Alan Johnson is one of the few members of this government I like. I have said before he passes the pint test. He is someone who would be very good company in one of the many hostelries of Hull. This weekend though, I can't quite get my head around his thinking. Professor David Nutt gave his expert opinion. Alan Johnson disagrees. As the Home Secretary is the man who has to make a final decision, I...
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Mark Reckons (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
I watched the debate in the Commons earlier today where Alan Johnson attempted to defend his decision to sack Professor David Nutt from his position as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs last week. One thing that particularly caught my attention was Chris Huhne's description of Chris Grayling, the shadow Home Secretary as Alan Johnson's "mini-me", the exact description I...
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Nick Robinson's Newslog (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
The row between the "Nutty Professor" and the red-faced home secretary is, surely, about more than scientific freedom of speech and the evidential basis for policy (something my colleague Mark Easton has written about here ). It is also about the basis of drugs policy in Britain. The Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs is not a purely scientific committee - it includes representatives of...
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UK Commentators (Free subscription) | 02/11/2009
Blimey. The Tories are right about something. As Conservative Home puts it : The Conservatives - who also disagree with the ACMD position on cannabis - backed the decision to sack Professor Nutt. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling issued this statement: “This was an inevitable decision after his latest ill-judged contribution to the debate but it is a sign of lack of focus at the Home Office...
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Alex Massie (Free subscription) | 01/11/2009
I don't think that government ministers should necessarily listen to the advice they're given by independent, expert authoroties. That is, the government is and should be free to decide that, whatever the merits of any given piece of independent advice the larger, more general, interest is best served by rejecting that advice. So there's nothing wrong with Alan Johnson sacking Professor David Nutt....
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Alex Massie (Free subscription) | 01/11/2009
I don't think that government ministers should necessarily listen to the advice they're given by independent, expert authorities. That is, the government is and should be free to decide that, whatever the merits of any given piece of independent analysis the larger, more general, interest is best served by rejecting that advice. So there's nothing wrong with Alan Johnson sacking Professor David Nutt....
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