Sage experts ‘can’t sit on both sides’
MPS have questioned why Sage scientists are permitted to sit on a separate group which has argued against government Covid policy.
Three members of Independent Sage – Professor Susan Michie, Prof Stephen Reicher and Robertwest – also sit on the behavioural science sub group of the official government advisory team.
Independent Sage, a group of experts sitting outside of the acknowledged scientific advisory groups, has long been critical of the Government. Earlier this month it made demands that the PM delay the lifting of the lockdown.
It has also pushed for a zero Covid “maximum suppression” approach – a strategy rejected as “untenable” by the Government.
But Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said: “You cannot be both a commentator and a government adviser. You need to be one or the other.
“These people are part of creating government policy but at the same time attacking it.”
A Downing Street source said there was nothing amiss with being on both groups.the source said of Profs Michie, West and Reicher: “They are SPI-B participants which is a sub group of Sage. Susan Michie is the only one that has ever been to Sage and only once or twice to present SPI-B papers.
“They’re independent academics who are free to share their expertise.”
Profwest described the criticism as “twaddle”, saying the two groups were “entirely complementary”.
He said the terms of reference of both groups showed the criticism was unfounded. Prof Michie has said on a podcast that there were benefits to sitting on both groups.