Letters: Home secretary's defence of professor's sacking is doubly wrong

Alan Johnson's defence of his damaging and rather crass decision to sack Professor David Nutt (Letters, 2 November) contained errors of fact, as well as errors of judgment. Professor Nutt was not the home secretary's "principal adviser". I presume that would be a better description of Paul Wiles, the full-time civil servant who is the departmental chief scientific adviser. David Nutt was the independent chairman of the statutory Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which is made up of a number of independent distinguished scientists, and some rather less independent police officers, among others.If a distinguished scientist – following appointment as an adviser to the government – has to adapt his or her comments, depending on the government's policy, then they are not independent.When they become government advisers, the only additional requirements scientists take on – with respect to public comments – is that of confidentiality, and making clear...

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