Experts

+A minister, allegedly the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK’s Zombie Government, has come out of hiding to reassure us that more help will be on the way with paying energy bills, which we’re told will rise by 80% on the 1st October. This is indeed reassuring news, not least since we’re also told that the civil service is looking at various options to present to either Rishi Slick or Liz Thick on their enthronement as PM on the 5th September. It has to be said that at the present time, the founder of the Money Saving Expert website, Martin Lewis would be the No.1 choice for PM for the vast majority of struggling Brits. I doubt very much that whatever the next Tory PM comes up with will stave off serious civil disobedience. On that subject there will be measly words from HM Opposition, just as there has been regarding the recent spate of strikes. Anyway, let’s hope the civil servants come up with something that meets the challenge, but I do worry that this is the same civil service that Jacob Rees Mogg wants to take an axe to, with a cut of 91,000 posts envisaged. Perhaps as in Yes Minister they mightbe tempted to leave their useless ministers to carry the can?
 
+Here’s the first line of a story in the Mail on Sunday:
 
“Britain must not bow down to ‘Project Fear 2.0’ scare stories if it is to stave off a recession, experts warn today.” (emphasis added)

Careless talk costs the economy it seems, especially when it’s inspired by a shadowy (i.e. un-named) cabal of hardened Remainers. To substantiate its story, the Mail on Sunday has been in touch with a serious group of (two) ’experts.’ One is the former head of the British Chambers of Commerce John Longworth, who appears to be the inspiration for this non-story. Deploying his expertise he asserts:
 
 ‘It is clear to me that a clandestine cabal of well-funded campaigners is once again gathering. I call it Project Fear 2.0,’ he said. ‘Be in no doubt that there are grave issues facing this country. But sewage in rivers has nothing to do with Brexit, nor the European Union.’
 
Actually, Mr Longworth, action against sewage on beaches and rivers was mandated by the E.U. That there are still problems is more to do with a lack of investment by the privatised water industry, whose excuses are as offensive as the outpourings of a sewage pipe.
 
The Mail on Sunday article breathlessly continues:
 
“Last night, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith agreed. ‘We have a core of people who never wanted to leave the EU and they have dedicated themselves to getting us back in,’ he said.”
 
There’s another expert! Duncan Smith reminds me of the definition of an expert: a has-been under pressure. What’s really behind this non-story? Both Duncan Smith and Longworth support Liz Thick to be the next Tory leader. So the next time Michael Gove decries ’experts’ I may have some sympathy for him.