Setting yourself up to fail is part and parcel of being a politician, but our current Chancellor of the Exchequer is making rather a habit of it these days. Hiding away during the disastrous election campaign only to resurface once the bad news was in, he has rather carved out a very nice niche for himself in the blundering department.
Blunders? What blunders...?
At the end of December 2016, he said that the UK would not leave the European single market, in January 2017, he reversed that decision saying it would. In the March Budget, he increased National Insurance contributions for the self-employed, the policy was reversed a week later.
Comming out of hibernation after the election result he implied that he would begin to ease up on austerity, but then rebuked the majority of the British people implying the mess this country has been in, is because we are incapable of living within our means. So the bank's had nothing to do with it then?
He, as did the rest of the cabinet, failed to understand the urgency of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Although he is solely responsible for the outrageous statement that Public Sector workers were paid too much when most have received a below inflation rise for nigh on seven years. Lately, he has been saying that Brexit will not lower taxes, nor will it be as easy as we all assumed it would be.
Europe...to be or not to be?
Now, of course, that is the major question that politicians and the public are waking up to. The cabinet at large appears to be in turmoil, with Hammond saying that all the confusion will not delay departure in 2019. No, well we will see about that one! The Government has now been accused of being woefully inadequate in their preparations for negotiation with the EU, with not even the basics ironed out after two rounds of talks have agreed precisely nothing.
Yesterday saw horrendous congestion at Paris, Madrid, Lisbon and numerous other European points of entry for UK travellers as the EU tightens its 'free-movement' borders - we are already not being viewed as EU citizens. With Downing Street countermanding Mr Hammond, saying we will leave on schedule, but if we are not even getting the simple things right then how can we move on to the more pressing matters.
A lot of people are beginning to wake up to the complexity of our current situation. It was never going to be easy - divorce rarely is - even the cabinet and those directly involved have been rather overwhelmed by the task that the UK is now facing. It was always going to be easier to change things from the inside - but outside, a near impossibility. Free Movement, free trade, and an easy working relationship with our neighbours are almost a thing of the past. Not only have we to rewrite our own Constitution, but we have to establish - and establish very quickly - the framework and parameters on how we deal with others.
A totally unenviable task whether you are David Davis, Phillip Hammond or indeed Theresa May!
