What, me officer?
I remember a BBC documentary years ago about violent Chelsea fans, one of whom seemed to be always starting fights. But he always escaped punishment because at the last second he would take up a look of complete, confused, wide eyed innocence.
This “What, me officer?” defence has now been taken up by Brexiteers.
Apparently, Grant Shapps can call in the airline industry to berate them for confusion, delays and cancelled flights and then deny that any of this has anything to do with Brexit.
When the industry points out that it most certainly is Brexit related and asks for visa waivers so they can get some of their previously qualified staff back to do the work they used to do, they are told to shut up and go away.
I like to think that every time the government pulls this trick another Brexit voter’s dreams die. But the coverage in the media is so weak and the blame spread so widely that maybe that isn’t the case.
However, it is true that every one of these issues is another little example of the madness of this totally unnecessary act of economic self harm. The fact that no member of this government can or will admit that they are at fault for any of it, suggests that they know the dam will burst if they do.
“What me, officer?” Is now official government policy.
Although, claiming nothing is your fault when you are paid handsomely to run the country is a less plausible defence for a government minister, than it is for a football hooligan.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.