Nothing changes

While MPS wrestle with the problems of Brexit, readers may like to ponder on the turmoil of MPS in 1940, after the fall of France. There were sceptics, both MPS and advisers, who wanted Churchill to “do a deal” with Hitler. One of those, Captain Ralph Edwards, Director of Naval Operations at the Admiralty, wrote in his dairy, “Our cabinet with that idiot Winston in charge changes its mind

every twenty four hours… I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that we’re so inept that we don’t deserve to win and, indeed, are almost certain to be defeated. We never do anything right.” Plus ca change, toujour la meme chose. But we did win the war.

J LINDSAY WALLS Buckstone Wood, Edinburgh