Introduction – April 25, 2020
Dominic Cummings (right). Click to enlarge
It now transpires that Boris Johnson’s top political aide attended meetings of a key scientific group that gave advice on how to deal with Covid-19. Raising questions over how impartial and objective the advice being given to Boris Johnson on how to deal with the crisis actually is.
So why was the prime minister’s top aide, Dominic Cummings sitting in on meetings that decided on the “scientific” advice given to Boris Johnson? Was he there to get an insight into how the advice could be best exploited politically?
The membership of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) is secret but according to the Guardian, Cummings has been attending its meeting since February. That’s weeks before the lockdown was imposed.
According to Downing Street political aides have “no role” in compiling scientific advice given to Boris Johnson on Covid-19 and Cummings only attended the meeting to gain a better understanding of the science involved.
However, the government’s former chief scientific adviser Sir David King said he was “shocked” to hear there were political advisers on Sage.
“If you are giving science advice, your advice should be free of any political bias,” he said. “That is just so critically important.”
Told that Cummings was in the 23 March meeting, King replied: “Oh my goodness. Isn’t this maybe why they don’t want us to know who was there?”
Other former members of Sage also said they could not recall political appointees being on previous committees. David Lidington, a former Cabinet Office minister and de facto deputy to Theresa May when she was prime minister, said: “I’m not aware of any minister or special adviser, certainly not in Theresa May’s time, ever having been involved in the scientific advisory panels.” (The Guardian)
We reserve judgement and leave readers to decide whether Cummings was simply trying to get a better understanding, or gain an insight into how the advice could be tailored and exploited politically?
Ministers facing calls for more openness over Covid-19 scientific advice
ITN – April 25, 2020
The Government is facing calls for greater transparency over the scientific advice given to ministers on the coronavirus outbreak.
Downing Street angrily dismissed claims the advice could be politicised following the disclosure Boris Johnson’s top aide Dominic Cummings had been attending meetings of a key scientific group.
Opposition parties, however, said political advisers had no business attending the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and called for its deliberations to be opened to wider scrutiny.
The row came as the coronavirus lockdown was entering its fifth weekend with fears that the expected warm weather for much of the country may see people ignoring social distancing rules.
More than 19,000 people have now died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, with many more deaths expected in care homes.
Meanwhile, it emerged that talks have been taking place between ministers and the Premier League on re-starting the football season once the Government decides the conditions for easing the lockdown have been met.
The controversy over Sage – which will advise ministers on the lifting of the restrictions – came after The Guardian reported that Mr Cummings and Ben Warner, a data scientist who worked with him on the Vote Leave campaign in the Brexit referendum, had been present at Sage meetings.
Downing Street denied they were members of the group and said they were simply seeking to better understand the science involved and how it could inform government decision-making.
“Sage provides independent scientific advice to the government. Political advisers have no role in this,” a No 10 spokesman said.
“The scientists on Sage are among the most eminent in their fields. It is factually wrong and damaging to sensible public debate to imply their advice is affected by government advisers listening to discussions.
“Public confidence in the media has collapsed during this emergency partly because of ludicrous stories such as this.”
However, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the disclosure raised “significant questions” about the credibility of Government decision-making.
“Dominic Cummings has no place on the Government’s scientific advisory group on the coronavirus,” he said.
“He is a political adviser, not a medical or scientific expert. If the public are to have confidence in the Sage, the Government must make clear Dominic Cummings can no longer participate or attend.
“We also need full transparency on who is attending meeting of Sage what is being discussed.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has been in talks with the governing bodies of a number of major sports, with football expected to be the first to get the green light to resume matches behind closed door.
It is understood that detailed discussions have been taking place with medical officials from Public Health England on the criteria that would have to be met for games to go ahead.
Stopped reading when I saw the ‘source’ was the FAR LEFT sewer dwelling Guardian
football is major concern because it gives door open for mass demonistratons and assembly , religious and public gathering , where this unscientific scumdemic will discuss to raise awareness . you don’t have to wait for the condtins to reopn /to get out of home arrest.
i bet its gonna be like a football game with social distancing enforced which affect the rest of gathering minimized or vanished .
The connections to big pharma need exposing and the Government needs to come clean on its role. For example, Chris Whitty who is Chief Medical Officer for England, Chief Medical Officer for Government, Chief Scientific Advisor at Dept. of Health, and Head of National Institute for Health Research, is clearly a man who commands great deal of power during a pandemic crisis. The public might be surprised to learn that Whitty, during his work in Nigeria in 2008 researching malaria, received £31 million in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Chris Whitty sits on the committee at SAGE which conducts secret meetings on advising the Government on health strategy. Conflicts of interest should be investigated.
FREEDOM for all: The Guardian in a so say leftwing rag which is controlled by the far right. The Guardian is funded by a trust. This trust is not enough to fund what is a global media organisation. As I understand it, half of the Guardian’s audience is Amerikan. The Guardian’s funding shortfall is bolstered by banking giants like HSBC who spend a fortune on Guardian advertising. What you read in the Guardian is softcore leftwing content for leftwing sheeple. There is nothing really leftwing in the Guardian. Btw, you need to ditch your prejudices. This left v right crap is just another elite control mechanism which reveals your level of brainwashing.