James O'Brien's eye-opening interview with former Chief Scientific Advisor

20 May 2020, 13:49 | Updated: 20 May 2020, 13:52

James O'Brien's eye-opening interview with former Chief Scientific Advisor

By Fiona Jones

This is James O'Brien's truly eye-opening interview with former Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Sir David King. A must watch.

The Former Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) has formed an independent scientific advisory group, separate to the government's panel of experts, as "there is no transparency in the way scientific advice is going into the government."

Sir David said: "When I was Chief Scientific Adviser it was well known to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown that I would take advice from a group of experts and then take that advice into them and also put it into the public domain.

"That is a critically important way of operating because when ministers say we are following science advice, there's no way in which we in the public domain can tell or not if that is correct. If the CSA is able to frankly put advice into the public domain then we know what that advice was."

James told Sir David that journalists linked to Downing Street said they could not publish the science for fear of "embarrassing the allies who had gone down a different route."

"Good lord," said Sir David, "that's the first time I've heard that one. Each of these reasons given have been incredible, literally incredible.

"I think the government is running a top down process, everything is run from Number 10. People like Dominic Cummings clearly have a big role in this and the science advisory group really has to follow what situation they are set by those people."

"The government is running a top down process," Sir David told James O&squot;Brien
"The government is running a top down process," Sir David told James O'Brien. Picture: LBC/PA

Sir David explained that the way to overcome a pandemic quickly is to test anyone with symptoms and trace anyone they have contact and then treat them, like in Greece. For us, he reflected, we started testing and tracing and then stopped doing that.

"What is simply amazing for me is we're not using GPs for taking blood samples and having them tested. I am just astounded that we have brought in a private company to run the testing and tracing process...I couldn't see how it could be justified because your GP has your medical records, your GP is the person you would go to for an annual flu jab."

James cited tensions rising between scientists and ministers, with MP Therese Coffey suggested that mistakes made by the government in its early response to the pandemic were because they got the “wrong” advice from scientists.

"The scientists on the SAGE committee are in a difficult position because they were set some containment. They were put in a fenced area and told you've got to do it under these conditions...the sensible thing to do would have been to get the test and trace process up and running through out GPs," he said, emphasising that the science was not being followed.

He said, "We did nothing in February, it seems, to get ourselves into a prepared state for managing a pandemic." Therefore, out of desperation, the government scientists may have suggested a herd immunity approach, he hypothesised.

Sir David's independent team are currently compiling a report to determine whether children should go back to school on June 1.

More James O'Brien

See more More James O'Brien

Man whose parents were murdered by Hamas on October 7 says: We are on precipice of global war— Peace is possible.

Man whose parents were murdered by Hamas on October 7 says: We are on precipice of global war— Peace is possible

Full Disclosure live on stage with James O'Brien and Carol Vorderman: Buy your tickets here

Full Disclosure live on stage with James O'Brien and Carol Vorderman: Buy your tickets here

Exclusive
The Conservative Party Conference this year is more notable for who's not there than who is, both journalistically and possibly politically, says James O'Brien

After 14 years in power, Tories can't dodge responsibility for their mess, says James O'Brien

An LBC caller shared the shocking moment she discovered child sex abuse images on her ex-husband's computer

LBC caller shares harrowing moment she discovered child sex abuse images on ex-husband’s computer

Exclusive
'Messing with kids minds in a big way': Tony Blair calls for social media regulation as he admits 'we can't go on like this'

'Messing with kids' minds': Tony Blair calls for greater social media regulation, admitting: 'we can't go on like this'

Londoners to question the Mayor at annual State of London Debate with LBC

Londoners to question the Mayor at annual State of London Debate with LBC

Sacked borders watchdog David Neal said the Home Office is 'dysfunctional' and needs reform.

'It goes to the very top': Sacked border watchdog slams Home Office and calls for reform after Cleverly row

Exclusive
Shahd Waleed is trying to leave Rafah with her parents and enter Egypt

'They want us to experience pain': Young woman trapped in Rafah with her parents tells of terror as Israel invasion looms

Sir Keir Starmer has defended comments he made about Margaret Thatcher earlier this month.

Starmer defends Thatcher comments as he says he ‘completely disagrees’ with former prime minister’s politics

A caller to James O’Brien’s programme has shared footage of the extraordinary destruction done to his newly purchased property just outside of Durham.

Property investor's shock at 'unexplainable level of damage' he discovered after buying new home

Exclusive
James Cleverly replaced Suella Braverman as home secretary on Monday

'I've spent more time with James Cleverly this week than with Suella Braverman in the last year', Sadiq Khan tells LBC

James O'Brien discusses Suella Braverman's 'destructionist' leadership style with a caller

'She's a destructionist': James O'Brien caller claims Suella Braverman governs like 'a five-year-old'

James O'Brien

'She definitely has something on him': Caller and James O'Brien debate why the PM hasn't sacked Suella Braverman yet

'A complete reset of the top' is needed says caller.

'We're being let down': There is a 'complete disconnection' between parliamentary and local Conservatives says caller

James O'Brien

'It's essential that people are able to protest peacefully against war', says James O'Brien

James O'Brien

Rishi Sunak 'almost physically moves away' from Suella Braverman in House of Commons debate, says James O'Brien

James O'Brien

'Suella Braverman succeeded - she's caused hate', claims caller after Home Secretary criticises pro-Palestine marches

'A fish rots from the head': James O'Brien caller reacts to claims of misogyny in Downing Street during Covid Inquiry

'A fish rots from the head': James O'Brien caller reacts to claims of misogyny in Downing Street during Covid Inquiry

'Ludicrous, bogus, nonsense': James O'Brien is astounded by Boris Johnson 'laughing at Italy' during the pandemic

'Ludicrous, bogus, nonsense': James O'Brien is astounded by Boris Johnson 'laughing at Italy' during the pandemic

James O'Brien on Dagestan

'It's a hatred as old as religion itself': James O'Brien analyses escalating anti-Semitism after Muslim crowd storms Dagestan airport

Carol Vorderman shocked about UK Poverty

'One million children are living in destitution': Carol Vorderman struggles to comprehend stark wealth inequality in the UK

Wes Streeting on dentistry

Wes Streeting invites the government to steal Labour's policy to solve 'dickensian' NHS dentist crisis

James O'Brien

'I think they're the loneliest voters in Britain', James O'Brien claims after Tories' double by-election defeat

JOB and caller Andy

Biden's visit to Israel is to show that the US stands 'unequivocally' with Israel says James O'Brien caller

JOB and Usman

Israel's current response will only 'strengthen' Hamas by rearing Gazans who seek revenge warns this James O'Brien caller

JOB on deaths in conflict

James O'Brien unpacks the 'controversial' feeling of being 'equally devastated' by Palestinian and Israeli deaths

JOB on starmer speech

Keir Starmer is using 'working class as the opposite of having a sense of entitlement', notes James O'Brien

JOB on HS2 promises

James O'Brien criticises Rishi Sunak's watering down of 'illustrative' Network North projects funded by HS2 cut

Sadiq Khan and James O'Brien

Sadiq Khan declares there is 'no place for anti-Semitism' in London as kosher restaurant in Golders Green attacked

James O'Brien on the challenge HS2 scrappage poses to Labour.

‘How much can Rishi Sunak knock down before Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister?, asks James O’Brien

James O'Brien

Rishi Sunak is like an 'incontinent cat': James O'Brien slams Tories ahead of PM's Party Conference speech

JoB and Jeremy Hunt

Navy veteran deeply hurt by Jeremy Hunt's plans to clamp down on benefit claimants