Why ministers must step up to Brexit plate

WITH just 46 days to go before Britain is due leave the European Union, what are Cabinet ministers doing to help their leader in her tireless struggle to secure an orderly departure?

If the events of the last few days are anything to go by, depressingly little.

In a fiasco described as being ‘off the Richter scale of incompetence’, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was shown to have granted a £14million contract for providing ferries to ensure the flow of goods in the event of a No Deal Brexit, to a company that doesn’t own any ferries.

Given the appalling state of the railways under his watch and the soaring costs of HS2 and Crossrail, it’s little wonder he’s earned the sobriquet ‘Failing Grayling’.

In normal times he would have been dispatched to the backbenches long ago. But in Brexit Britain, it seems, no minister can be sacked – however hapless. Meanwhile Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson threatens to use ‘hard power’ against China in the Pacific – sending our new £3billion aircraft carrier to patrol disputed waters.

This is what the Americans call ‘Big Stick’ diplomacy. Or it would be if Mr Williamson actually had a big stick. Unfortunately, his stick is very small indeed compared to the giant cudgel wielded by the Chinese.

To our one aircraft carrier (which doesn’t come into service until next year), the Chinese have 11 – not to mention 67 attack submarines, 37 destroyers and 52 frigates. They must be quaking in their boots.

Then there’s Treasury Chief Secretary Liz Truss, who ought to be focusing all her efforts on developing post-Brexit strategies to protect us from economic shock.

But no. She found plenty of time to attend the glittering Bafta awards and pose for selfies with celebrities.

It’s time for a reality check. In less than seven weeks, our nation is set to take its most momentous political step since the war. To her huge credit, Theresa May has been working tirelessly to ensure as smooth a Brexit as possible.

With the clock ticking relentlessly, shouldn’t her senior colleagues be doing everything in their power to help – rather than making fools of themselves?