"It may be that Schoolmaster Shaw knows what Iains' intended meaning was better than Iains himself, but I very much doubt it!"

I don't doubt it. Schoolmaster Shaw appears to enjoy a level of literacy that poor Iains can only dream of (and that's not even bragging). Observe, Nigel:

"Sadly some adults can also be a naif."

The lack of comma and use of "can" are one thing. But, tell me, Nigel (no lightbulb-style joke intended here): how many adults does it take to constitute one "naif?"

Ah, how pretentiousness doth go before a fall! :-)

Anyhow, to listen to the news today you'd think that the hubris-ridden brexiteers actually have some control over the length and conditions of the transition period. They don't. We will comply with the wishes of the EU more or less in full, you'll see. And we will lose the power of veto into the bargain. Oh happy days. But no-one dares to make any move that would threaten Theresa May. No Theresa, no brexit is the Tory thinking. We are a laughing stock.