Thanks to the experts

There will be millions of people in this country, around Europe and even all over the world who will be (or have been – depending upon when you read this) desperately concerned about the 11 pm deadline tonight (midnight on mainland Europe). The hopes and fears of many depend upon what happens in the next few hours up until that deadline. The rolling news channels will offer minute by minute updates and the fortunes of some will depend upon deals done in the coming hours.

As I’m sure you are all fully aware the European football transfer window closes at 11pm this evening. The importance of football cannot be overestimated.

And that’s all I’ll say on Europe!

And on a more sobering note. Obviously, the news this week has been dominated by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Originally identified in the city and province of Wuhan in China but now clearly spreading around the world. Understandably people are concerned by the outbreak of this virus and rightly so. However, it is heartening to see that the global political and medical machines rolling so effectively into action. Governments and the NGOs seem to be working hand in glove to identify and execute a strategy for dealing with this desperately dangerous situation. For all the tensions around the globe it’s (maybe) only when a real crisis occurs we find that there are significant figures who can rise above the geopolitics. They set aside their personal preferences and a political point scoring to collaborate effectively and efficiently in attacking this world health crisis.

The most significant players throughout this whole crisis has been the experts. That much derided group of learned and esteemed people who have spent years studying, learning and then acting upon evidence. I am reassured that these people seem to be at the heart of our global attempts to contain and control this virus.

We work hard in our schools and colleges to ensure that our children and young people have the skills necessary to question and challenge the source material (primary and secondary). We ask them to draw conclusions based upon firm, not flimsy, evidence. It’s heartening to see that that approach has been taken at a global level in dealing with this extremely difficult health emergency.

‘Whatever you say about popular culture, people like people who know things, who are experts, and it doesn’t particularly matter what they look like.’ Mary Beard

There is hope.