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UK Climate Minister: “I am not a scientist”
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.”
5th May 2009, BBC Blogs – James Reynolds’ China: The right qualifications