They are reporting the data. No spin either way. They tend to keep hunches to themselves. In fact, at yesterdays press conference Prof Whitty stated that he was of the opinion, at the very start of the pandemic, that this would be, at least, a long term issue and that it may well never go away. This is not something he expressed publicly early in the pandemic.
RE Ferguson, he uses, and most likely, develops statistical models. Such models have to include certain assumptions/parameters. They are not necessarily going to be perfect but it will be indicative to the point it can be used to inform public policy making. He doesn't simply pluck figures out of the air. Are there any specific predictions he made that you think were nonsense? I think I remember him saying something like 250k may die without lockdown. Well, we locked down and c150k who have sadly passed away. Does that make it a poor prediction? I don't see anything to suggest it was wildly incorrect
The difference between Dr Campbell and Ferguson is that the latter mostly reports published research, adding commentary and further insight. He doesn't deliver the primary research himself or deliver any modelling, which is far more difficult.
As for him shagging around....hardly the basis on which to judge someone. In relation to his abilities, it's irrelevant.
