Drugs policy in turmoil as Johnson sacks adviser

At least one prominent fellow member of government panel resigns in protest

By Beverley Rouse

Published:

The UK Government’s drugs advisory panel was in turmoil last night after the home secretary angered scientists by dismissing its chairman.

One prominent member announced his resignation – and more are predicted – in protest at Alan Johnson’s decision to axe Professor David Nutt after he criticised the government’s drugs policy.

Dr Les King said Home Secretary Alan Johnson had denied Prof Nutt his right to free speech and called for the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to become truly independent from politicians.

Prof Nutt said a second member, pharmacist Marion Walker, had also resigned.

She was not available for comment yesterday.

The row is threatening the panel’s future and has exposed a rift which members say has been simmering for several years.

Dr King said the government’s attitude to the panel has shifted and home secretaries had a “pre-defined political agenda” when they asked for its expert advice.

“It’s being asked to rubber stamp a pre-determined position,” he said.

“If sufficient members do resign, the committee will no longer be able to operate.”

Prof Nutt said: “I think the council is untenable.”

Dr King believes the panel needs to become “free from government interference” in the same way as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which advises on medicines and clinical practice south of the border.

Mr Johnson said: “You cannot have a chief adviser at the same time stepping into the public field and campaigning against government decisions.You can do one or the other, you can’t do both.”

He added: “I’ve got enormous respect for the advisory council. They’ve got to understand that Professor Nutt crossed this line between offering advice and then campaigning against the government on political decisions.”

Dr King said the government had “a right” to reject the panel’s advice but added the attitude towards the panel changed “very recently”.

“I suppose it goes back to 2002 with David Blunkett who was minded to reclassify cannabis downwards.

“He made it clear to us his wishes. The council supported that.

“In that situation it was something that the council readily agreed to. That wasn’t too worrisome but that precedent then continued.”

Prof Nutt was particularly scathing about the decision of the prime minister and then home secretary Jacqui Smith to upgrade cannabis to Class B in defiance of the panel’s advice, a decision which he said upset many members.

In his letter demanding Prof Nutt’s resignation, Mr Johnson said: “I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy and have therefore lost confidence in your ability to advise me.”

Prof Nutt yesterday admitted more than one of his four adult children had confessed to taking drugs. He said he believed alcohol posed a greater risk to young people and that was where the “big effort” should be.

He has called for all drugs to be ranked by a “harm” index, with alcohol coming fifth behind cocaine, heroin, barbiturates and methadone. Tobacco should rank ninth, ahead of cannabis, LSD and ecstasy, he said.