December 30th was shortly before the UK’s third peak of infections, the one caused by the emergence of the UK/Kent/Alpha variant. The more infectious virus put the government under pressure to come up with good ideas to keep R down in the future.
The UK also has a political tradition of scientists being closed involved in some policy decisions. (Another commenter mentions Cummings being involved with that, and that may be partly true, but I think the tradition to have scientists closely involved is much older.)
Traditionally, when a new US administration comes to power they are able to exchange a lot of people in the civil service. In the UK a new administration can change the minister of a department but not the permanent secretary of a department.
I would expect more positions being political appointments leading to less scientists being involved in decisions.
December 30th was shortly before the UK’s third peak of infections, the one caused by the emergence of the UK/Kent/Alpha variant. The more infectious virus put the government under pressure to come up with good ideas to keep R down in the future.
The UK also has a political tradition of scientists being closed involved in some policy decisions. (Another commenter mentions Cummings being involved with that, and that may be partly true, but I think the tradition to have scientists closely involved is much older.)
Insofar as this is true, I want to know why, and why the US doesn’t have a similar tradition.
Traditionally, when a new US administration comes to power they are able to exchange a lot of people in the civil service. In the UK a new administration can change the minister of a department but not the permanent secretary of a department.
I would expect more positions being political appointments leading to less scientists being involved in decisions.
The UK government also has many non-ministerial departments: