Britain is no country for an old Scientific Advisor called Sir David King who believes that, by stealth, its NHS is being sold off and Voice of Dissent silenced

David, who is 81 years old, moved to Britain in 1963 when he was 24 and forged a brilliant scientific career which took him to the University of Liverpool as Professor of Physical Chemistry in 1974 then Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1988. In 2000 he became the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government and Head of the 'Government Office for Science' and served for seven years under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. 

David has 'gravitas' in the scientific community. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) provides scientific and technical advice to support government decision makers during emergencies and in 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, David formed and led 'Independent SAGE', a committee of unpaid experts which acts as a 'shadow' of the Government's SAGE group to address concerns of political influence on that body.

Now David has spoken out against the Boris Johnson-led Government.

He said : “I am extremely worried about the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, about the processes by which public money has been distributed to private sector companies without due process. It really smells of corruption”. In particular, he had in mind those private companies brought in and then mishandled the coronavirus test-and-trace operation. He contrasted the success of the vaccination programme, carried out by the National Health Service, with this failure of the Government’s test-and-trace operation contracted out to private companies. David said : “The operation to roll out vaccination has been extremely successful. It was driven through entirely by our truly national health service and GP service - just amazing. Yet we have persisted with this money for test and trace, given without competition, without due process. I am really worried about democratic processes being ignored. This is a so-called 'Chumocracy', that has been a phrase used, and that is what it looks like I’m afraid : it is a 'Chumocracy'”.

Paul rejected the argument that the Government had to act quickly to counter the pandemic and had been forced to ignore normal processes in doing so. “People say it’s a crisis. I say the Government is using a crisis to privatise sections of the healthcare system in a way that is completely wrong. A fraction of this money going to public services would have been far better results”.

Paul accused the Government of acting deliberately to carry out ideological aims of privatising the NHS. “It is slipping this through in the name of a pandemic. Effectively, to privatise the NHS by stealth. I’m quite sure this has not been an accident, I’m quite sure this has been the plan, there has been clarity in this process. The audacity has been amazing”.

When he worked as Scientific Advisor to the British Government he was outspoken on the subject of climate change and said : "I see climate change as the greatest challenges facing Britain and the World in the 21st century" and "climate change is the most severe problem we are facing today – more serious even than the threat of terrorism".

He has continued to make the climate crisis one of his key areas of focus, is concerned about the proposed change in the law in the 'Police and Crime bill, which would give police the powers to shut down protests regarded as a 'nuisance'. He said: “It’s extremely worrying, as we pride ourselves in Britain on having developed a true democracy. Any democracy needs to give voice to dissent. There’s a real danger that we’re going down a pathway that leads away from democracy.”

Paul recently signed a letter calling on the Supreme Court to reconsider its pursuit of Tim Crosland, a campaigner against the third runway at Heathrow, for contempt of court. “I think he is being set up as an example to others. It shows the Government’s churlish attitude towards people campaigning”.