You would think that after the drubbing they have received in the media during the past month that the Government would have at least learned something? It appears not if you believe what the Chancellor has been saying.
The Public Sector
During a rather heated cabinet meeting on Tuesday, it would appear that the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, declared that he would not break the 1% pay freeze for the Public Sector, as they were all overpaid anyway. He compounded the matter by making the rather bizarre statement that above all, train drivers were ludicrously overpaid.
A number of his colleagues, including the PM, rebuffed him for the statement, which he doggedly stood by. Even this morning on BBC1 he was still not moved to change his mind, refusing to confirm or deny that he made the comment in the first place, and whether he would soften his stance by this Autumn's Budget statement. Bizarley he also concluded that business was not investing, not realising that it is future uncertainty that is stopping them doing so. One can only wonder what excuse is he going to give when presented with the EU Brexit payment, a figure bandied at anything upwards of some £75 Billion, and more importantly how we are actually going to pay the bill...yet another round of austerity cuts?
A severe case of mouth in foot?
If the Government then the Conservative Party itself is not to split itself apart with round after round of constant in-fighting someone amongst them - anyone - must get a grip on the situation. The news from Westminster is not good, factions are being formed and alliances made, in order to begin the process of ousting the PM; which may come as early as Autumn.
There is little point in Theresa May shedding tears on live TV over a situation of her own making without doing something about it - certainly without changing course and giving in to the demands made on her. Sadly both she and Mr Hammond appear to continually misread any difficult situation they are confronted with by placing both feet firmly in their mouths.
With a new round of Brexit talks starting tomorrow, and the outcome, even at this early stage unlikely to be in the UK's favour. The EU appears to have a constructive points plan in which to steer the future talks, where it appears we have got no further than the rights of EU citizens after we leave. It is important for the Government to show that it is listening to the British people not simply going a merry way of their own making or like lemmings we are all going over a cliff.
