Knee-jerk reactions

You're an independent businessman of some standing in the community. The First Minister approaches you and asks you to undertake a substantial inquiry into a matter of political controversy. There won't be any money in it for you - you are doing it for the public good. You spend a couple of years examining the issue from all possible points of view, with the help of various members of the great and good, as well as some established experts in the field. You are about to publish your report, which has been drafted and re-drafted and which carefully sets out the arguments in favour of your recommended course of action.

Then this happens:

The long-awaited report of the independent committee set up to review local taxation in Scotland is due to be published.
Sir Peter Burt's two-year long inquiry is reported to recommend replacing council tax with an annual charge based on about 1% of a property's value...
But before the report was to be published, the recommendation was ruled out by Mr McConnell, at a regular meeting of Labour ministers.
A source close to the First Minister said:
"There is no way that Labour ministers would support a homes tax. We will need to consider the independent review in detail once published, but if this is the main proposal, it will not be given the time of day."

[Source: the BBC here]

Would you ever help the Scottish Executive again? Would you ever even speak to the First Minister? How would you advise any other independent member of the great and the good if asked to take on a similar task?