Boxing above your weight
The inability of many news presenters to master their brief and give ministers and others a hard time is very depressing.
The crisis in Sudan has seen the British embassy and their staff evacuated but British citizens left to fend for themselves.
Just like in Afghanistan, this is not a reflection on the local staff but a damning indictment of the Foreign Office and its management.
Interviewers need to stop giving ministers an easy ride. They need to ask and we need to know:
Why did Italy, France and many other countries manage to airlift their citizens out of Sudan, but not the UK?
Why were British citizens not told of these flights which many could have used?
Who failed to plan for this predictable crisis?
Who failed to coordinate a rescue with our European allies?
Why did the embassy staff not stay in Sudan, in a safer area, to coordinate the evacuation?
What is the plan now?
The Foreign Office has for far too long boasted that its abilities and talent allowed the UK “to box above its weight”. I always thought this was arrogant nonsense both Sudan and Afghanistan, seem to show it can’t even organise an airlift or see a crisis coming.
Doubtless the UK’s armed forces will have to risk their lives to bail out the FO, and the media will rally round the SAS and the Royal Navy.
But one day trying to box above our weight is going to lead to one hell of a beating.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media