Great analysis, John, especially in your 03.50 pm post. The chickens are truly coming home to roost now that May and her sorry team have shown themselves to be thoroughly incompetent and are, in consequence, the laughing stock of the whole EU. Be very afraid. We're stuffed.

Billybully boy, I'm totally not interested in your yah-boo schoolyard comparisons between known fascists such as Franco and Pinochet and Stalin/Lenin (for whom I have no time whatsoever). That's your attempt to fudge. Look at Franco and Pinochet on their own terms. Both murderous authoritarians (have you looked at those numbers yet?) who brooked no opposition. The epitome of fascism. Whatever Stalin/Lenin got up to does not impact on that at all. You don't get to justify atrocities merely by highlighting someone else's. You don't let off little Jimmy for stealing little Maisie's crisps just because little Johnny looked up little Amy's skirt.