Loss of science champion in election is “sad day for science and government”
BMJ 2010; 340 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c2543 (Published 11 May 2010) Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c2543- Zosia Kmietowicz
- 1London
The unseating of Evan Harris as a Liberal Democrat MP in the general election has been described by a number of supporters as a loss for all those who care about science.
Dr Harris, who represented the Oxford West and Abingdon seat since 1997, lost out on 6 May to the Conservative candidate Nicola Blackwood, who polled 23 906 votes, 176 more than Dr Harris.
Commenting on the result Gail Cardew, director of programmes at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, said, “It’s a sad day for the science community. We’ve lost someone who is a great advocate for scientific rigour and evidence based policy.”
Dr Harris congratulated Ms Blackwood for her effective campaign. But he was critical of “the outrageous smear leaflets distributed to every house late in the …
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