Being gung-ho just isn’t good enough

“There’s an opportunity to do a great free-trade deal with the United States. The President is very gungho about that, and so am I.”

Those were the words of the Prime Minister yesterday after a breakfast meeting with Donald Trump, at which the main course was a discussion about a potential post-Brexit trade agreement between the two countries.

The noises made afterwards by the two men were clearly intended to leave no-one in any doubt of their mutual adoration and their desire to be seen to be achieving results.

But it was impossible not to wonder whether Mr Johnson’s choice of words had inadvertently given away more than he intended.

“Unthinkingly enthusiastic and eager” is the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of the phrase

“gung-ho”. It also serves very neatly as a summary of Boris Johnson’s approach on Brexit.

Since taking office – and indeed, before doing so – Mr Johnson’s single strategy on leaving the European Union appears to be to get on with it cheerfully and assume that things will be fine afterwards. In other words, to approach it with unthinking enthusiasm and eagerness.

It was a theme that ran through much of Mr Johnson’s rhetoric at yesterday’s G7 summit in Biarritz.

“I think it’s going to be touch and go but the important thing is to get ready to come out without a deal,” he told the BBC.

Later, he offered a “guarantee” that people would still be able to get medicines, and added: “I think it’s highly unlikely that there will be food shortages of any kind.”

With respect to the Prime Minister, it’s hard to place any credence in his off-hand guarantees and optimistic prophecies when they fly in the face of virtually every likely Brexit scenario compiled by the Government’s own civil servants.

Mr Johnson and Mr Trump may enjoy their rounds of optimistic back-slapping and bluster, but for the health of the country, a gungho approach is precisely the opposite of what’s required at such a pivotal and momentous time in this country’s history.

There’s nothing wrong with enthusiasm, and if Brexit is an inevitability then we must all be eager that it be as successful as it can be.

But nothing of this importance has worked on the basis of crossed fingers and hopes for the best.

We’re sorry, Mr Johnson. Gungho is simply not good enough.