The performance artist who created and sustains the absurd persona called Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of the great satirists of our times. He carries off with great conviction a unique blend of English comic prototypes: Warren Mitchell’s Alf Garnett and Al Murray’s Pub Landlord seamlessly combined with PG Wodehouse’s Gussie Fink-Nottle and Monty Python’s Upper Class Twits.

His latest burlesque, delivered this week with his usual deadpan aplomb, was on the subject of how Britain should show Brussels who’s boss in the Brexit negotiations by threatening, of all things, Irish beef.