Decisive leadership completely lacking

IT is difficult to disagree with Carwyn Jones when he characterises the state of the UK Government as being in “complete disarray”.

The resignations of Boris Johnson and David Davis have greatly exacerbated a crisis that was long in the making.

Britain used to be admired – often grudgingly – for the diplomatic skill with which it pursued its national interest on the international stage. But to succeed in diplomatic negotiations, a government needs both a starting position it is sure of and an understanding of how far it is prepared to go when compromising.

Thanks to its own internal splits, Theresa May’s administration has had neither, leading inevitably to an excruciating two years of indecisive engagement with the EU since the referendum.

Last Friday’s Cabinet meeting at Chequers was meant to be the occasion when, like grown-ups, the UK Government decided definitively what its trade proposal would be. Instead, after initial attempts to spin the line that an historic compromise had been achieved, the supposedly good news quickly unravelled, demonstrating that the Cabinet was even more divided than it had been before.

What is most appalling about the current situation is that at a time when we desperately need strong and decisive leadership, it is completely lacking.

The Prime Minister has not recovered from her foolish mistake in calling a general election last year. It severely diminished her standing with her own close colleagues. Boris Johnson in particular has been able to get away with things on multiple occasions that should have got him the sack. He has now resigned, again seeing the possibility of achieving his personal ambition of winning the top job.

Meanwhile, despite facing a government in chaos, Labour’s position on Brexit continues to be unclear – and in most polls it continues to trail the Conservatives.

There are too many politicians thinking too much about their personal ambition, and not enough about the country. Brexit is not a TV game show or a soap opera: the negotiations taking place between the UK Government and the EU are deadly serious, and the livelihoods of millions of people depend on their outcome. It’s not asking too much of our political leaders to expect them to show leadership and the ability to make decisions – and to stop behaving like delinquent children.