Don’t worry, your bacon will be saved

ONE of the most chilling claims of the anti-Brexit “Project Fear” was demolished by Dominic Raab yesterday.

To sighs of relief, the Brexit Secretary declared the great British bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich will continue to be served up in the event of a no-deal departure from the EU.

“Let me reassure you all that, contrary to one of the wilder claims, you will still be able to enjoy a BLT after Brexit,” Mr Raab announced in his speech, rejecting an alert raised by the British Sandwich Association about the impact of tariffs on consumer choice.

It seemed a curious issue for the Tory Cabinet newcomer to raise, particularly given that he is notorious in Whitehall for refusing to eat anything other than a chicken Caesar baguette for his lunch.

Mr Raab’s soothing words about bacon butties were the only moment of levity at his news conference yesterday.

The EU Exit Secretary had little of the breezy good humour of his predecessor David Davis. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will have to get used to dealing with a very cool operator.

Mr Raab demonstrated the steely intellect and lawyerly grasp of detail that has marked his rapid rise to the Cabinet.

Only the occasional dab of his upper lip with his handkerchief under bright television lights in a stuffy Treasury conference room gave a hint of any nerves as he took on the task of unveiling the Government plans for a breakdown in the talks with Brussels.

He dealt politely with a string of questions from his audience about supposed catastrophic consequences of leaving without a deal, striking a firm but reassuring tone.

As the news conference ended shortly after noon, Mr Raab strode purposely out of the room. Perhaps he was heading off for a welldeserved sandwich lunch.