Destroying the evidence

Top scientists prevented from speaking out against government policy? Something you might expect in North Korea, China or Russia perhaps - but not in the UK. However, unless there's a sudden change of tack, academics and researchers in receipt of government grant money are soon going to be barred from campaigning for changes to the law.

It's nothing new for unpalatable scientific findings to be either ignored or rejected - note Labour's sacking of Professor David Nutt and the present government's apparent determination to pay nothing but lip service to the concept of "evidence-based policy" when it comes to the badger cull and climate change - but for this to be formalised would be both ludicrous and sinister, and a blatant assault on academic freedom.

(Thanks to Lyndsey for the link.)