Who are SAGE?

[darmstadt]

Is it in fact the ERG: The Secretive Group Guiding the U.K. on Coronavirus - The New York Times

[sasguru]

The government can do what it likes.
The UK populace are too apathetic and poorly educated to care and mostly lack critical thinking skills.

[DimPrawn]

The government’s influential Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies — known by its soothing acronym, SAGE — operates as a virtual black box. Its list of members is secret, its meetings are closed, its recommendations are private and the minutes of its deliberations are published much later, if at all.

Sounds like the EU!

[Old Greg]

Sounds like the EU to a paranoid cretin like me!

FTFY

[sasguru]

Sounds like the EU!

QED.

[SimonMac]

Is it in fact the ERG: The Secretive Group Guiding the U.K. on Coronavirus - The New York Times

not really secretive as this list was "uncovered' with 60 seconds of googling

Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE): Coronavirus (COVID-19) response - GOV.UK

New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group - GOV.UK

[malvolio]

I would have thought the only need for secrecy is to protect the expert members from the usual collections of loons, trolls and promoters of dubious solutions. The group itself isn't secret.

[Old Greg]

I would have thought the only need for secrecy is to protect the expert members from the usual collections of loons, trolls and promoters of dubious solutions. The group itself isn't secret.

That will definitely be the only 'need' for secrecy.

[LondonManc]

I would have thought a primary need for secrecy is to protect the expert members from the usual collections of loons, trolls and promoters of dubious solutions. The group itself isn't secret.

FTFY

Plenty of other reasons - pressure/inducement from business owners to get us out of lockdown, etc.

[Old Greg]

FTFY

Plenty of other reasons - pressure/inducement from business owners to get us out of lockdown, etc.

...hiding the political biases and allegiances and financial interests of the group members...