I think the daily briefings are good. It's not just a politician talking; it's a politician flanked by two scientists or public health experts. The politician explains what is going on and the experts explain why, with data. This is the first time in my life I can remember politicians so publicly deferring to experts with evidence.
I didn't mention the scientists because I'm not criticising them.
The only reason politicians are deferring to experts is they've realised experts are actually useful whereas before they didn't like them (something about the time for experts is over, something like that, can anyone recall?)
Conversely you haven't touched on the fact that the buggers are constantly spinning, deferring blame for not getting enough PPE, plain deceit about the number of tests done etc.
The UK has not done well. That was avoidable. If you defend that, you let the responsible ones off the hook and they will do it again.
I don't like Gove, so it feels strange for me to "defend" him, but this is an interesting quote that keeps coming up.
In a later interview [1] he said this:
"When I was being interviewed on Sky by Faisal Islam, he put it to me that there were a number of economists and organizations of economic prestige that questioned the arguments for leaving the European Union and said that it would be a mistake if we did. I countered it by saying people have had enough of experts from organizations with acronyms that have got things so wrong in the past. And Faisal Islam, as a skilled interrogator, cut me off half way, so while I completed my sentence he took the first half and said ‘people have had enough experts?’ and used that as a fencing posture in the interview itself."
Although I wrote the original comment criticising the UK daily briefing, I really disagree badly here.
> "Protect the NHS" ffs.. how about protect the population?
protecting the NHS IS protecting the population. If you have a better idea of how to protect the population - note that we have had nearly 2 months of government-mandated lockdown based on scientific advice (though taken too late) - then suggest it.
> The politicians aren't deferring to experts with evidence
Yes they are, finally.
> They are setting up the experts to be the fallguys
No they're not and they know it wouldn't work anyway.
I tried to make a justified criticism but yours is just plain destructive cynicism.
