Boris Johnson’s advisers should engage with scientists, but openness is everything

Editorial: The government’s approach has allowed those who attribute the worst of motives to politicians to fill in the gaps

Critics have questioned Dominic Cummings’s attendance at key meetings (AFP/Getty)

Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s chief adviser, and Ben Warner, a junior one, attended meetings of Sage, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, including the one on 23 March, after which Boris Johnson announced the lockdown.

The news has provoked outrage from the Labour Party – although interestingly not from Sir Keir Starmer, the leader, yet – and from Sir David King, the former government chief scientific adviser, who said: “It marries with all of my worst fears.”

We should be clear, however, what the problem is. It is not that Mr Cummings takes an interest in science and has discussed the coronavirus epidemic with the country’s experts.