I recently learned a new word; it’s never too late. Kakistocracy – a form of government in which the worst persons are in power. Least qualified. Unscrupulous.

In my lifetime there have been three governments that have unscrupulously attempted to manipulate public opinion. Sir Anthony Eden’s in 1956 lied about the motivations behind the invasion of the Suez Canal in an attempt to maintain British colonial influence. It backfired spectacularly. Eden believed he was doing the right thing. He soon left office. Mr Tony Blair sent British Forces into Iraq in 2003. Blair also believed he was doing the right thing. It was a military and social disaster that hasn’t run its course 15 years later. Blair left office four years later.

Now we have Mrs Theresa May, who, together with her predecessor Mr David Cameron, have put the country on an exit path from the European Union. Eden and Blair thought they could boss around single countries in the Middle East. May thinks she can boss around 27 nations in Europe.  Or does she?

I rather think she knows she is onto a loser. But “it is the will of the people”, she keeps saying, so she must do as instructed. Even if she destroys her political party? Even if she destroys the livelihoods of many of the people who “willed her”? More likely, she is keeping up this falsehood in the hope that a time will come when she can jettison her and her party’s fantasies about reversing the roles of China and the EU; the former now taking about 5% of our overseas trade and the latter close to 50%. How is it that Germany exports five or six-times what the UK exports to China firmly from within the EU, whilst we have (allegedly) to cast ourselves adrift from the Continent and common sense to make headway.

The government is delusional. The government is living a lie. The government is frightened to tell the truth to the people for fear of an internal civil war within the Conservative Party. Mrs May continues lying in a vain attempt to keep her party intact.

Whilst all of this government posturing, its inability to say what it wants for fear of being told it can’t eat its cake as well keep it, goes on, the public is seeing though this international, tragic farce. The Brexit referendum was won by a 4% margin; 52% Leavers, 48% Remainers. This week’s ( 28-29 January) YouGov poll shows a significant shift:

To the question was Britain was right or wrong to vote to leave the European Union: 40% said Right (down 5% in 2 weeks) and 46% said Wrong: (up 2% in 2 weeks). If this trend continues, the current panic just below the surface of the governing party will burst forth spectacularly. A sight worth watching will be when Theresa May starts to change her tune – to play the one she really believes is the right one; that this country’s best interests are served by our remaining in the EU.

In the meantime, I will content myself with the image of the Brexiteer MEP, my friend John Flack, who insisted at a Rab Butler Debating Society event a week ago that we all must leave the EU out of reverence for the memories of Lord Nelson, The Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill. One can live on nostalgia and ones emotions for a day or two, but future generations deserve the real world and a realistic future.

If you would like to read a professional journalist and Conservative member on this topic, don’t miss Matthew Parris on “Tory Lies” in today’s Times newspaper.

Or “Theresa May must stand down” from Matthew D’Ancona.