Taken with a pinch of salt

Subject: FW: Taken with a pinch of salt.

The deep seated problem we have in politics is, not only the tribal affiliation to party but the cocooning of thought into a psychological bubble which surrounds Westminster.
A bubble which stunts politicians, of all persuasions into thinking their world, or at least the important part of their world, is a world of debate and their daily connivance between their political colleagues  and political,opponents. It's as if the world outside was of a second tier which they pay lip service to when necessary, for instance at election time but where their real effort is in playing the game of party politics.
Rory Stewart's stark warnings to his colleagues was that they were being disingenuous to the electorate if they stated that the negotiations with the EU could be opened and better terms obtained by a fresh face at the table. He harshly rebuked the other contenders for the crown as he tried to engender a little realism into the debate.
It's as if his words had fallen on deaf ears to listen to the commentary in the papers this morning. The ridicule directed at Boris Johnson was ignored as if it never happened, the wild offer of tens of millions on tax relief from Michael Gove was also ignored. It's as if they live in a universe which contradicts reality and whilst these politicians speak the world of political scrutiny falls silent through the sheer impossibility  to grasp the consequences of what the politicians, (defending their jobs, the salaries and prestige which goes with them), propose.
The papers this morning were in the grip of celebrity mania as they airbrushed out the inertia of Johnson, the steely eyed Jeremy Hunt who often looks manic, the goofy Gove and the man we know next door, Sajid Javid.  Not a word about their wild claims or expensive tastes with taxpayers money. Not a word about the complexity of disentangling our economy from Europe or the hardship bound to be inflicted on the people on the streets (not them of course) or the diminution of our position in virtually every aspect of academic and economic influence.
For Johnson, Hunt, Gove and Javid they were on the hustings, making wild claims, claims they know no one will hold them to, political claims to be taken with a large pinch of salt.