The new BBC documentary Brexit Means Brexit: The Unofficial Version lifts the lid on what has gone on behind the scenes since EU referendum result last year. While a host of Westminster stalwarts – including Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Anna Soubry – have contributed to the programme, it’s Alan Duncan’s appearance that has caught Mr S off guard.
The Foreign Office minister appears to have forgotten what discretion means – opting to dish the dirt on everything from his direct boss to the government in general. Proving Theresa May’s decision to put Duncan in the Foreign Office – even though he does not get on with Boris Johnson – was not a great idea, the minister takes the opportunity to needle his boss. Duncan says the Foreign Secretary must ‘resist the temptation to play games’:
‘He’s got to resist the temptation to play games really. He mustn’t do that. He must just be part of the stable cabinet Government we want to see.’
On Brexit, Duncan says there is no ‘way out of this’ and that anyone who thinks leaving the EU is going to be ‘plain sailing’ is guilty of such ‘lunacy’ that they should not be in politics:
‘This is real uncharted waters, the prospect of getting a single collective voice amongst the 27 let alone the European Parliament and the potential referendum in one or two countries means the chance of getting coherent unanimity around a constructive deal will be fraught with difficultly. And I can’t see at the moment any route to a pain-free exit. I think a lot of people will turn over in the night and think is there a way out of this but at the moment I don’t think there is one.
To pretend that it is going to be plain sailing is such a knuckle headed lunacy that makes one wonder, why anyone who thinks that is in politics.’
Still, Mr S wonders if it’s best to not take Duncan’s words too seriously. After all, he wasn’t always so anti-Brexit. Vote Leave’s Matthew Elliott claims that Duncan had planned to back Brexit but switched to the other side after his request for a position on their board was refused. At this rate, Steerpike can’t see Duncan being promoted anytime soon.
Comments