Nutt sacking splits the Cabinet

By Ian Dunt Skip related content

The first signs of Cabinet-level splits over the sacking of Professor David Nutt emerged today after it was revealed that science minister Lord Drayson vigorously opposed the decision. He allegedly fired off a series of emails seen by the Sun newspaper yesterday to senior No 10 aides urging them to reconsider. He then called on Gordon Brown to overrule Alan Johnson, the home secretary, who took the decision to fire Prof Nutt as head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). "Alan did this without letting me know and giving me a chance to persuade him it's a big mistake," he wrote while away in Japan. "Is Gordon able to get Alan to undo this? As 'science champion in government', I can't just stand aside on this one." The email reveals concern at the highest level about what was widely seen as an attack on independent scientific advice to the government. Prof Nutt had argued on multiple occasions that alcohol and tobacco are more harmful than ecstasy and LSD and urged the government to reclassify both cannabis and ecstasy. The Conservatives supported the government move yesterday during an urgent question in the Commons, but Chris Huhne, home affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, strongly condemned the sacking, which has already seen two further resignations from the ACMD.