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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Government drugs adviser resigns | Government drugs adviser resigns |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| An adviser to the government has resigned over the home secretary's sacking of his chief drugs adviser, Prof David Nutt. | |
| Dr Les King quit the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, saying Home Secretary Alan Johnson had denied Prof Nutt's "freedom of expression". | |
| Prof Nutt was sacked after saying cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or nicotine. | |
| He said the drug had been upgraded to Class B against scientific evidence. | He said the drug had been upgraded to Class B against scientific evidence. |
| The move had been for political reasons and "on the whim of the prime minister", Prof Nutt claimed. | |
| After being sacked via e-mail by Mr Johnson, Prof Nutt predicted there would be resignations from the government advisory body that he headed. | After being sacked via e-mail by Mr Johnson, Prof Nutt predicted there would be resignations from the government advisory body that he headed. |
| I'm not going to say just how many I think might resign but there is an extremely angry feeling among most council members Dr Les King | |
| Dr King was appointed on 3 April 2008 and wrote a book on the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2003. He was previously head of the Drugs Intelligence Unit in the Forensic Science Service. | Dr King was appointed on 3 April 2008 and wrote a book on the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2003. He was previously head of the Drugs Intelligence Unit in the Forensic Science Service. |
| Dr King said there was a "very strong feeling" among the council's members. | |
| "I'm not going to say just how many I think might resign but there is an extremely angry feeling among most council members. | |
| "Amongst the scientists, I think a number will resign. It doesn't need the whole council to resign for the thing to stop working." | |
| Professor Nutt on the resignation of other members of the Drugs Intelligence Group | |
| Prof Nutt has told the BBC that the council's position is "untenable". | |
| He said: "I think the position of scientists on the council's untenable, because I cannot see how Alan Johnson, given what he's just said, which clearly indicates he doesn't understand how scientists think, how scientists on council could continue to work with him." | |
| Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Mr Johnson said he thought his ex-chief drugs adviser was "wrong" on cannabis - but sacked him for "crossing a line" into politics. | Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Mr Johnson said he thought his ex-chief drugs adviser was "wrong" on cannabis - but sacked him for "crossing a line" into politics. |
| Mr Johnson had earlier said he hoped there would not be resignations, adding: "This was not about Prof Nutt's views, which I respect though I don't agree with them." | Mr Johnson had earlier said he hoped there would not be resignations, adding: "This was not about Prof Nutt's views, which I respect though I don't agree with them." |
| He said: "What you cannot have is a chief adviser at the same time stepping into the political field and campaigning against government decisions. You can do one or the other. You can't do both." | He said: "What you cannot have is a chief adviser at the same time stepping into the political field and campaigning against government decisions. You can do one or the other. You can't do both." |
| Mr Johnson said that Prof Nutt had "crossed the line between offering advice and then campaigning against the government on political decisions". | Mr Johnson said that Prof Nutt had "crossed the line between offering advice and then campaigning against the government on political decisions". |