BRECON & RADNORSHIRE AND TORY ELECTORAL CHANCES

Polls opened this morning for the Brecon and Radnorshire by election and the result should tell us a lot about the Johnson effect as well as the Brexit party's support and local thinking on a no deal Brexit. The LibDems have high hopes but this report suggests it may not be a cinch. However, the pro Brexit vote is likely to be split between the Tories and Farage's mob and it would be a surprise if either of them won.  We will know the result tomorrow morning.

LORD DIGBY JONES - LIGHT RELIEF FROM REALITY

Lord Digby Jones is always good for a laugh. One of the great idiots of our time. A man with so much confidence but so little to be confident about. He has opinions but doesn't know anything and isn't prepared to learn or think and is usually invited onto our TV for light relief from reality and intelligent conversation with a bit of imbecile baiting thrown in. Newsnight invited him on the other night in what was pure comedy gold. You can see it on BBC iPlayer (HERE) for the next 29 days - about 36 minutes in.

DIGBY JONES WHAT CAN YOU SAY?

Digby Jones (Lord Digby Jones to give him his full title) is, I always thought, one of those self important blokes you meet occasionally who talks utter rubbish all the time but always seems terribly pleased with himself even when palpable nonsense is pouring out of him. You might take him along to a business meeting as a sort of clown, much as you might do with a puppy who wasn't house trained. He is never short of an opinion on any topic, particularly those topics he knows nothing about. Before the referendum he said there wouldn't be any pain from Brexit (HERE).

DIGBY JONES STARTS TO BLAME REMAINERS

Lord Digby Jones is not really self aware is he? The man is obviously getting a bit nervous with all the anti-brexit stuff going on at the moment and the utter mess the government is making of the withdrawal negotiations. He was the one who told us, "there won't be any economic pain" from Brexit. He may just be starting to realise that far from being painless it is going to be excruciating and chronic. 

BREXIT DELEGATION TO VISIT BARNIER THIS WEEK

One never stops being amazed at the stupidity of Brexiteers. A small gang of them are planning to meet Michel Barnier to "warn" him that the UK has a Churchill like "iron will" to walk away from a bad deal according to The Telegraph HERE, which reports it gleefully. There is obviously a range of possible economic relationships with the EU and I don't believe I am saying anything contentious if I suggest membership is the best and WTO terms the worst, with various options in between. 

DIGBY JONES - "There isn't going to be any economic pain from Brexit"

I regard Digby Jones, former trade minister and one time Director General of the CBI, as a bit of an opinionated fool. He is one of the rent-a-quote brigade, always ready to appear on camera and give us the benefit of his ignorance on any topic you like. In July last year he told us, "There isn't going to be any economic pain from Brexit". This was after the pound plummeted on the foreign exchange markets and why we are now seeing prices outstrip wage growth, making us poorer than we otherwise would be.