Brexit bumblers

The latest piece of Tory election literature, featuring the terrible twins, Theresa May and Ruth Davidson (their local candidate remaining anonymous) mentions only twice, in passing, the most serious issue facing the electorate – Brexit. The Tories would prefer not to speak of it because, if re-elected to government at Westminster, they will have absolutely no control over the outcome, except leaving without a deal which, in itself, has grave ramifications. It’s all very well for May to repeat incessantly, parrot fashion, that she will secure the best possible deal for the UK, but I can say with absolute confidence that the leaders of the other 27 EU counties will be reassuring their peoples that they will be doing their best for them in the negotiations, particularly in Germany, where Angela Merkel seeks re-election in September and must not be seen to take a weak stance over the UK’S withdrawal. To imagine anything to the contrary is delusional.

Still, the Tories feel that they don’t need to bother the electorate over Brexit, probably because there’s nothing reassuring they can say. Of course, May will have supreme confidence in her “top Tory team” of negotiators, namely David Davis and Dr Liam Fox (both failed Tory leadership candidates – twice each), ably supported by the Foreign Secretary, bumbling Boris Johnson, and egged-on by Little Englanders such as Iain Duncan Smith (failed Tory leader – but only once). With them in charge, we don’t need to have much of an imagination to predict the outcome. Despite Scotland’s significant referendum majority to remain in the EU, we are entirely without representation in the negotiations. Apparently it would be too complex to include the Scotland dimension. So we must all remain on our Reservation in North Britain, praying quietly that a few crumbs of comfort will fall off the Brexit table in our direction. DEREK LAING

Calcots, Elgin