Prof T Michael Wilson, the head of Horticultural Research International has won the prestigious PANTS ON FIRE award for his remarkable track record of GM spin plus his planned closure of Stockbridge House, a highly regarded non-GM research centre that has pioneered biological pest control, hydroponics and other alternatives to GM.

Wilson is certainly no friend to alternatives to biotech. Prior to HRI, Wilson was at the John Innes Centre and was then Acting Director of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, where he was followed by John Hillman who famously used the SCRI's annual report to smear organic farming.
[https://members.tripod.com/~ngin/organic.htm]

On leaving SCRI to take up his HRI post, Wilson did a press interview with The Scotsman in which he claimed independent research had already proven GM
crops a beneficial technology that encouraged wildlife. However, the evidence Wilson cited turned out not to be from the source he claimed; not to be independent in the way he implied; and nor did it contain any evidence for benefits to wildlife!!!
[https://members.tripod.com/~ngin/false.htm]

Wilson and Hillman subsequently collaborated on a chapter on GM in the "Fearing Food" book put out by the far right Institute of Economic Affairs
[https://members.tripod.com/~ngin/rightwing.htm]

The book also had a chapter by Dennis Avery on organic farming. Wilson and Hillman's end their chapter with a prolonged rant about "disinformation" and
those "who raise speculative risks" and "promote public fear".  Whether they had Wilson's Scotsman article or Hillman's annual report in mind, who can say.

Wilson also put in an appearance at the OECD conference in Edinburgh where he was among the biotech evangelists making personal attacks on Dr Pusztai -
in Mike Wilson's case the attack even extended to Pusztai's wife! [https://members.tripod.com/~ngin/watchingdrpusztai.htm]

The direction of HRI's support for UK market gardening under Wilson was illustrated recently by the 'GM apples to fight tooth decay' story which emerged
from HRI research. In other words, under Wilson, HRI threatens the death of the UK fruit industry!

HRI has, needless to say been the recipient of massive amounts of public funding over the years, mostly through MAFF -- yet another illustration of the fact
that public investments in science are serving to subsidise interests and outcomes that have no public mandate.

It is in this context that Wilson's axing of Stockbridge House should be seen.

A leading research centre is facing closure in a  move which has revived fears about scientific promotion of  GM crops and a brain drain from laboratories in
the north.

Commercial growers and MPs are pressing the government to  save the 175-acre specialist unit at Stockbridge House at  Cawood, near Selby, North
Yorkshire, which has pioneered  biological pest control, hydroponics (growing plants without  soil) and other alternatives to genetic adaption of plants.

Fifty jobs would go in March under a planned restructuring  of Horticultural Research International, the government's  main testing and development arm for
market gardening,  fruit and related crops. The Cawood unit, which has  recently added to its three acres of glasshouses, is the  only northern laboratory run by
HRI, which is planning to  concentrate on its scientific centres at West Malling,  Kent, and Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.

The axe was announced  by HRI chief executive Professor Michael Wilson, a  proponent of genetic research, to Stockbridge staff, some  of whom were in
tears at the prospect of losing tied  housing on the site. Six scientists at the centre have been  offered relocation to the midlands and south.

Commercial  growers, who pay half the costs of the centre, have also  warned that their money may not be transferable to  different research, and are backing a
rescue attempt linked  to the government's huge central science laboratories only  20 miles away in York. This would be a match made in  heaven,' said John
Grogan, Labour MP for Selby and one of  the backers of an emergency campaign to keep Stockbridge  intact. There's an obvious synergy and we're putting a
robust place and business plan together.'

Senior advisers to Nick Brown, the agriculture minister,  are to hold talks with the group, which is supported by the  National Farmers' Union and headed by a
former director of  Stockbridge, Michael Bradley. He said yesterday: It's a  viable site, it's got a good team and a good budget.

There's an awful lot of horticultural science about at the  moment, but much less work on the practical technology  which makes that science useful to growers.
That's the  speciality of Stockbridge and we believe it can survive and  prosper.'

Prof Wilson said that the HRI had to remain the major UK  player, fighting fit, competitive and the source of the  highest quality research and development".
Recent years had  seen a slower growth than forecast in commercial operations  to make up for a steady cut in the public sector grant to  the non-departmental
public body, which is responsible to  the agriculture ministry but dependent on private sector  income as well. Scientists in the north are still sore  about the
government's decision earlier this year to build  a pounds 500m synchotron at Didcot in Oxfordshire rather  than Daresby in Cheshire - a site with a greater
expertise  in generating high energy X-ray beams to penetrate the  structure of proteins, potentially invaluable in the  development of medical drugs.