Art of ‘politicianspeak’

A few weeks ago, the government sacked its chief drugs adviser, professor David Nutt. He led the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, whose role is to identify and interpret research about the effects of drugs in order to provide evidence-based advice to ministers. So why did he have to go?

It doesn’t seem to be because he and the advisory council were providing duff information about the relative harm of various drugs. Rather, we are told, he was sacked because he strayed too far from his role and violated the principle that advisers advise and ministers decide.