In a Tory government that's hardly brimming over with intellectual talent, Andrea Leadsom still manages to stand out. It's some achievement to be seen as the most stupid of all in a shower of dimwits. And it looks like she's determined on cementing that fully deserved reputation beyond all doubt.
Her latest 'brain'wave is telling broadcasters that when they report on anything to do with the ongoing farce to leave the EU they should be more 'patriotic'. A couple of quotes seem appropriate at this point....
“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious”
― Oscar Wilde
“The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.”
― Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot
It sounds like Leadsom wants the already supine BBC to become a bit more like the Currant Bun, Daily Fail and Desmond's ukip-propaganda shitrag. All of whom will print any lies about the EU, and the ongoing 'negotiations', if it suits their hard right ideology. So is this her speaking what there is of her ind, or official government policy? Is this a sign of a government now running so scared that it wants to suppress criticism?
Anyone paying attention knows that the EU team hold all the cards, and any end result will be determined from their position of far greater strength. And that the UK government, now fatally weakened after a botched general election, is looking more and more clueless as each day passes. One year on from from the madness of the referendum result the consequences are becoming more obvious, with food prices rising and the poorest in society, yet again, bearing the brunt. Minds are changing, except with those extremists who refuse to let go of their prejudices. The above-mentioned rags would never reflect that reality of course - and now the government want broadcasters to 'report' in the same way? Mushroom management.
That Barnes quote above is the most appropriate here. If you are going to serve your country then pointing out mistakes, questioning dubious decisions, exposing falsehoods are the most valuable contributions a free press can make.
There are calls for Leadsom to apologise. They don't go far enough. She should resign, and may needs to explicitly state that this approach is something she rejects. Except I suspect it's what she really wants. otherwise her desperate incompetence can't be contained for much longer.
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