Attention spans are so last century. The limit for most people nowadays is viral videos of demented dogs. And, if not that, a tweet from Donald Trump or the similarly followed Kim Kardashian.

So it’s a bit much to expect Britain’s business lobby groups to be any different — not least when faced with a 585-page doorstopper. Why read that? Much better to issue an instant press release, hailing Theresa May’s Brexit “draft agreement” and Wednesday night’s “backing” from the cabinet as an “important step forward”.

That was Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the CBI. “After 20 months of debate,” she declared, “this agreement by cabinet is progress. It moves the UK one step away from the nightmare precipice of no deal.” Not just Ms Fairbairn,…