News from London

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lord Frost’s spiritual successor in his new role as minister for Brexit opportunities, has a novel approach. He told the Sun last week that he is bypassing the civil service to ask if anyone else in the country has any ideas about “Brexit benefits”. Sun readers are invited to write to him with suggestions and he will see what can be done. But that too is revealing. One of the first tests officials apply to new ministers is to ask if they know what they want and to assess whether they have the ability to communicate that to them.

I am afraid that Rees-Mogg has not passed this test, which is all the more surprising as he had plenty of time lounging on the government frontbench, listening to suggestions from Brexit-supporting Tory MPs. (The Guardian, 15 Feb 2022)

My comment: Brexit was always going to be a confidence trick. Bypassing the civil service to ask if anyone else in the country has any ideas about Brexit benefits? Incredible!

The bankruptcy of ideas so soon after the fact of EU exit makes the ridiculous situation even more laughable. Huge damage has been done to the reputation of Britain, solely to appease the little Englanders. Ask Sun readers for ideas? You have to be joking. For non-British readers: The Sun is a propaganda vehicle for backwoodsmen and oglers of scantily dressed young women. That’s fine, if you have the inclination, but you can’t run a country based on prurient interest in half-clad teenagers. It will be fun seeing what the readers come up with!