Sam Colclough

This book provides an account of the interactions between political, social, cultural, and economic factors on the one hand, and scientific knowledge production on the other, in two historically significant scientific advisory institutions in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: SAGE and Independent SAGE. COVID-19 provides a rich terrain for exploring relationships between science and politics. But while many texts focus on the social or philosophical dimensions of science-advice, or on the purported mis-use of science by governments or alleged nefarious motives of scientific experts, this book draws on interviews with those involved at the sharp end of science-advice production in the UK to produce characterisations of the ideologies reflected in the groups' thought styles and outputs. The more speculative final chapter seeks to consider what an advisory group committed to producing science for more politically radical purposes might look like. This combination of empirical and theoretical richness makes this an important text for critical scholars in science studies interested in...