What have experts ever done for us?

Michael Gove had a career in journalism before entering politics. Boris Johnson had a career in journalism before entering politics. Precisely what qualifies them to be so expertly dismissive of so many expert economists, lawyers, academics, business leaders, health specialists, etc., isn’t entirely clear.

But the weight of expert opinion is against the Brexitors, therefore the tactic is to tar them them with pro-EU vested interests. All of them.

Let’s be clear, if the IMF or Institute for Fiscal Studies had suggested that Brexit could be economically positive or even just neutral, then Boris would be making sure everyone knew about it and not dismissing it as yet more expert conspiracy.

Of course, Conservative MPs have form; antagonising public sector experts is their modus operandi, whether it be Jeremy Hunt’s spectacular missteps with doctors or Michael Gove demoralising the education profession.

Economics is not an exact science. But then neither is medicine. However, there is a scientific underpinning. Next time the expert-doubters need an operation I’d wager they’d prefer a trained consultant surgeon to carry out the procedure rather than an MP who is merely optimistic about the prospects.

You don’t have to accept everything an expert opines, but you have to accept that there is a substantial knowledge/experience difference and the non-expert ought to have a stronger justification than just ‘I disagree’.