Head of UK science body calls for ‘creative disagreement’ after Michelle Donelan libel row

Ottoline Leyser of UKRI says people in public eye should be able to debate better, with less polarisation and blame

The head of the UK government science body at the centre of a libel scandal has called for creative disagreement" and a higher standard of public discourse, with less polarisation and blame between scientists and politicians.

Ottoline Leyser, the chief executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said that with so much at stake for the planet and given the need for science to propel a transition to a low-carbon economy, it was imperative for policymakers, scientists and the public to be able to communicate.