Scientific and political ethics

[sawyl]

It seems to me that Evan Harris, in a letter in today's Guardian gets the ethics of being an independent scientific advisor just right:

If a distinguished scientist — following appointment as an adviser to the government — has to adapt his or her comments, depending on the government's policy, then they are not independent.

When they become government advisers, the only additional requirements scientists take on — with respect to public comments — is that of confidentiality, and making clear that they do not speak for the government.