George Eustice takes One for the Firm.

Carrying on from Matt, please let me wear long trousers, Hancock, George Eustice, relieved of his duties as Minister for Food and Rural Affairs, is now saying the great trade deal with NZ and Australia he personally delivered is in fact a bad deal. He’s saying he thought so at the time but because of ‘collective responsibility’ he lied through his teeth to Parliament to get ‘any old deal’ in order to make his Brexiteer party look good. This is like going into an Auto Spares shop and asking, “Will this part fit my car?’ The guy says ‘yes’ and you waste a day proving it’s won’t. You take it back fuming and he says, ‘Sorry mate you’ve opened the package, you can’t return it now, it’s company policy.’ This is how the farming industry is feeling right now. The whole idea of ‘collective responsibility’ effectively makes nobody personally responsible. Outside Westminster we have laws to stop this shystering behaviour but apparently not in the Department of Food and Rural Affairs; just change ministers and ‘no harm done’. But it’s one thing selling the wrong Renault Scenic lower control arm and another selling a whole industry down the river. Just like Matt Hancock, it’s more proof that Westminster is in the grip of the corrupting influence of bullying.