From the BBC's James Reynolds:

"So, what was this country to make of a visiting climate change minister from Britain who was just 39 and who wasn't even a scientist? This point clearly intrigued the audience listening to Ed Miliband on Monday morning at Peking University.

After he delivered a speech on climate change, Mr Miliband was twice asked about the fact that he wasn't a scientist or even an environmental expert - he studied politics, philosophy and economics at university.

His answer to the students: "Your basic point about me - that I'm not a scientist - maybe that is one aspect of politics in Britain, which is that people get appointed to jobs where they don't necessarily have expertise. But what do I hope to try and bring to this?... I hope that the skill politicians have - the only skill maybe - is the ability to try and persuade people."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jamesreynolds/2009/05/right_qualificatio...

Nickbat wrote on 16. Nov 2009 at 11:51:




the only skill maybe - is the ability to try and persuade people


...by dissembling, obfuscation, threats, bare-faced manipulation, exploitation, taxation and levy to name but a few well practised methods.

Way to go, something to be proud of

Still a waste of bloody space