Is this the start?

A really good man who I found to be truthful and reassuring. I wish him good luck and new exciting challenges in his new role.

His job is done. He was never going to stay with the government.

Kim19

I interpret 'the start' as being deserters on a sinking ship

Me too - a man of integrity wanting to distance himself from a Government with little integrity.

I interpret 'the start' as being deserters on a sinking ship

I think everyone loved him for his analogies, which I’m sure made a lot of people sit up and take notice of what he was saying, particularly those who may have kind of ‘zoned out’ when yet another scientist came on.

Chris Whitty is very knowledgeable of course, but he lacks JVT’s personality.

It’s probably more to do with the fact that he stood next to Johnson on the podium addressing the country and telling them that they should not mix socially to save lives, and then finding out a couple of days ago how hypocritical Johnson was being Urmstongran. My guess is he couldn’t live with that.

Van Tam's sudden resignation wouldn't have anything to do with the recent revelation that Sir Patrick Vallance was one of the cabal of four ( Fauchi, Farrer, Daszak & Vallance) who knew that the Wuhan Laboratory was the source of the Covid 19 virus, but decided, in the name of Science to divert attention away from the Wuhan Lab. and suggested it came from the wet market would it?

A brilliant man, for whom I have a lot of respect. I wish him well in this next phase of his career.

It took a lot of courage for him to call out Cummings for what he did. I can still picture him in my mind gearing himself up to say what he did. I also remember him having to keep a low profile for a long time after that, until the government realised he was the only one that people trusted and they needed him to get their message across.

Blinko

If it hadn’t been for Professor Sir JVT and Scotland’s Jason Leitch, half of us wouldn’t have had a clue what was going on. Great communicators, these two.

Totally agree!

As a true academic I doubt he really enjoyed being thrust into the limelight at a very difficult time. He must be relieved to get back to the land of academia which I believe he was destined to return to anyway.
I hope it is the start to the end of the pandemic for everyone.

If it hadn’t been for Professor Sir JVT and Scotland’s Jason Leitch, half of us wouldn’t have had a clue what was going on. Great communicators, these two.

Shropshirelass

I like JVT, but he has been on secondment to Nottingham University since 2017 and it was only a matter of time before he stepped down from being an advisor. He talked a lot of sense during an unprecedented time. I wish him well.

I think the original post possibly meant the start of the end of the pandemic. Let’s hope so.

Yes, that’s what I thought too.

He said some time ago that he would be returning to academic life.

Lincslass. What did you mean please by “is this the start “?

I think it’s a bit of both. Probably glad to distance himself from the government but also wanting to return to his proper job and is doing so at a time when he feels we are on the way out of the pandemic and his services are no longer required.

Interesting timing though....

The man is much better than appearing on TV with bulletins over the months and I wish him well in what he does best.
His move could well have been on the cards since, or even before he became Sir.

He was just on a secondment, and what a secondment!
He is absolutely marvellous at his job, now he will be back to his normality and I hope a less stressful time.

Diplomatically put MissA

I would imagine that he can't, in all good conscience, align himself with the current state of play.

Or he is so fed up with ‘things’ he has had enough.

Maybe it's a positive sign that he no longer feels his services are needed.

Sorry that the man is going as he was someone I would listen to. I wish him well in the new post. Perhaps he has had enough as well as the rest of us.

Urmstongran

No need surely LincsLass now we’ve all cottoned on? Just now from the Telegraph:

“He will take up a new role as the Pro-Vice Chancellor for the faculty of medicine and health sciences at the University of Nottingham.

He said: "My time as DCMO has been the most challenging of my professional career, especially the Covid response.

"We all wish Covid had never happened. Notwithstanding, it has been the greatest privilege of my professional career to have served the people of the UK during this time."

A lovely man in my opinion. I found his calm manner soothing in the scary, turbulent early days of the pandemic. I wish him well in his new role.

Amended by GN. Yes I totally agree.