The public pronouncements of former top civil servants liberated from office tell you all you need to know about how Whitehall is stuffed full of ultra-Remainers opposing Brexit. Sir Martin Donnelly was Permanent Secretary for the Department of International Trade until last year. He has just written an article for InFacts, the mad pro-EU spin shop. InFacts‘ own website makes clear on its homepage that it wants to ‘Stop Brexit’. Does Donnelly agree with this? A very odd forum for a mandarin in charge of a department directly involved in delivering Brexit. 

In his article Donnelly paints a very pessimistic picture of what would happen if the UK leaves the single market – i.e. Brexit. He has form on this, in November he said we should join the EEA. Donnelly then talks about the problems that would arise “if” the UK leaves the customs union. Eh? This man was in charge of the Department for International Trade. The whole point of his department is to sign trade deals outside the customs union. Did he not believe the UK would be leaving the customs union when he was perm sec? How did he ever get the job?