Andrew Neil - Famous Last Brexit Words

Despite his being effectively in charge of the increasingly alt-right Spectator magazine, which routinely gives a platform to Islamophobes like Rod Liddle, and more especially Doug Murray The K, and still gives a regular berth to self-admitted anti-Semite Taki Theodoracopulos, who also writes in support of Hitler’s Wehrmacht and voices his admiration for Greek neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, Andrew Neil is still there at the BBC.

Even though he has still not said sorry for his inexcusable smears of Observer freelance Carole Cadwalladr, Neil continues to enjoy access to the Corporation’s airwaves, via his weekly show and - in normal times - a weekly go at chairing Politics Live. The Great Man retains his influence despite the occasional social media slip-up. Like the ones he made over the imminent danger to Britain - EU Brexit negotiations.

Recalling his time as a long-serving editor of the Murdoch Sunday Times, Neil can’t resist telling his fellow journalists how to do their job. Last week was no different. “Strange journalistic obsession with whether or not coronavirus will extend Brexit transition period beyond end-2020. I suspect most folks, as they confront the growing corona crisis, think at this stage - who cares?”. He certainly didn’t. Until the next day.

To the dismay of all those blindly tribal Brexiteers among his Twitter following, many of whom were on hand with a variety of creative excuses as to why it shouldn’t make any difference to the timetable laid down by alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Neil admitted “Michel Barnier tests positive for coronavirus. No Brexit talks anytime soon”. But then, “who cares”, eh? Maybe rather a lot of people care.

Their number would include those known to Neil, like the flagrantly dishonest Matthew Elliott, who was ready with his excuses during a paper review session on The Andy Marr Show™ (who let him on, BBC?), airily claiming that there need be no delay in the Brexit process. And more bad news for Brexiteers has come since then.

As the Independent reported the day after news of Barnier’s positive test, “Boris Johnson’s chief negotiator David Frost is self-isolating at home after showing ‘mild’ symptoms of the coronavirus, Downing Street has said. The top official has been leading the UK government’s efforts to forge a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union before the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. Mr Frost’s counterpart Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said on Thursday he had tested positive [for] Covid-19”.

Given the implications for what happens in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic - like the increasing possibility that the UK is still in the EU and may even be harbouring second thoughts about whether to go ahead and finish off the Brexit process - it would be a serious failure of journalistic instinct to follow Andrew Neil and say “who cares”. Because, in a few months’ time, everybody will care. Even the boss of the Spectator.

It isn’t Brexit extension OR Covid-19 - it’s the two subjects together. No-brainer, really.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/zelostreet5

[The Legalballs Fund has now closed]