Just got this from Evan Harris, who heard it first.

As I am now forwarding it to posterous this therefore means I am officially breaking a news story from the loo.  Vive la future! Vive les nerds!

EDIT 19:02 

the three who have resigned are:

Commenting on news that there have been three more resignations from the Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, in the wake of the sacking of its Chair, Professor David Nutt, Liberal Democrat Science Spokesman Dr Evan Harris MP said;

 

“The latest resignations represent a deepening in the crisis of confidence of scientists in the Government – in particular, in the Home Secretary. That they come after Alan Johnson met the ACMD demonstrates that he just doesn’t get it when it comes to the importance of respecting the academic freedom and integrity of independent, unpaid, science advisers.

 

Ministers are entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. The cost of the failure of the Home Secretary to understand the lessons of the BSE Inquiry will be poor policy – unless the Prime Minister acts decisively to bring the Home Office and rest of Government into line with established good practice.

 

By clumsily and unfairly sacking David Nutt, Alan Johnson has been rewarded with five resignations in protest. That takes a certain kind of ineptitude.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes:

 

1. The resignations have come after the conclusion of a meeting which the Home Secretary held with the remaining members of the ACMD.

 

 

Imran Khan

Parliamentary Researcher

Office of Dr Evan Harris MP

House of Commons

London SW1A 0AA