Ex-adviser of the Advisory Council of the Misuse of Drugs speaks out and writes in the Guardian-The Observer on her reasons for her resignation. Despite Polly Taylor’s sadness in leaving the organisation in which she commends the members as hard working and experienced, she criticises the Council for announcing their decision on mephedrone to the Home Secretary when in fact their report was still being considered by the group.

Taylor admits that her reasons for leaving were based on the recently published Principles for the Treatment of Scientific Advice where it allows for advisers to be fired on the grounds that a minister has made the decision that they are undermining trust. She states that ‘expert value is without value unless it is truly independent. It should not be given to ensure the trust of politicians or to fit the mood of the day’s press’.

Recently resigned ACMD adviser Dr Polly Taylor has stated that her problems with the committee stems from the meetings following the dismissal of Prof Nutt in November and that they were unhappy with the treatment of Prof. Nutt at the time and the implications it had of the treatment of scientific advice.

Dr Taylor says the Government’s want of mutual trust between politicians and scientists is subjective. It gives no guardian against the Government not liking the advice it has been given, therefore the risk exists of dismissing the person giving the advice. She states that it is “desperately important” to be able to give true independent advice and this can be difficult if they know their job is in jeopardy as they are biased by trying to communicate something that the recipient wants to get. She goes on to state that emotive comments made “must be objective, carefully-examined advice based on looking at all data and not just individual emotive responses and knee-jerk reactions.”

Read full resignation letter to the Home Secretary here.