Science in inaction - the shifting priorities of the UK government's response to COVID-19 highlights the need for publicly accountable expert advice.

The phrase following the science is repeated frequently in relation to government policies to address COVID-19. However, what this science might be and how it is better than other ‘sciences’ is less frequently explained. In this post, Jana Bacevic reviews the UK government’s initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak and argues that a key factor determining the UK government’s approach was a closed advisory system that enabled particular scientific or epistemic communities to have disproportionate influence on policymaking. To address this deficiency, scientific advisory systems need both a greater variety of experts and greater transparency.