Who is in charge?

The recent report from the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee on preparations for Brexit makes grim reading. Almost a year ago the committee warned that post-Brexit customs arrangements are the most important and time-sensitive of all the challenges of Brexit.

Six months later the head of the civil service, Sir Amyas Morse, announced he was very concerned about the lack of leadership and co-ordination of Brexit preparations, saying plans risked "falling apart like a chocolate orange". When he asked Mr Davis, the Brexit secretary, about seeing a report on the overall preparedness across government the response he received was "vague". As a result Sir Amyas publicly called for central coordination and central support for all government departments - "strong integration" - instead of each department doing its own thing.

The government response to Sir Amyas was, "Cabinet ministers meet regularly on Brexit to coordinate work on this and we have put forward a series of bills in the Queen's Speech to prepare the country for leaving the EU."

A few ministers meet every so often and put forward a couple of bills? This is the government's coordination strategy?

Now, once again and a year further on, the question being asked is: who is in charge?

The concluding statement of the most recent Home Affairs Committee report is a plea in all but name:

"The Government’s approach seems to us to lack focus, urgency and above all leadership. Any progress seems to rely on working groups of government officials, with no meaningful ministerial leadership...a fully joined-up approach from the Government is urgently needed, as well as proper coordination with the private sector. The impetus to achieve this is only likely to come from a named senior Government Minister taking responsibility."

Of course there is a dearth of leadership in our present government, of course this is a poisoned chalice, but is there really not one single senior Tory with the skills and courage to take on this task?