Way back in the mid-1960s, during a quiet summer, a former journalist turned public relations man persuaded the chairman of a public company to conduct a search for the Loch Ness monster.
Quiet summers used to be known in Fleet Street as the “silly season”. One day, the PR man responsible for what was essentially a publicity stunt was called into the chairman’s office. The chairman, a retired general, was in a state of panic. “What on earth are we going to do if we find the monster?” he said.
“It’s all right, sir, no need to worry. There is no monster.”
I am reminded of this episode by the way those Brexiters who have not already admitted their gross disservice to a once-admired nation have been arguing that the government should do more to promote the advantages of Brexit. They have a slight problem: just as there is no Loch Ness monster, there are no advantages to Brexit.
Brexit is an unmitigated disaster, and the damage is getting worse. I fear that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, so impressive in his forensic demolition of prime minister (still!) Boris Johnson…
