Hidden in the Sunday Times’ devastating coronavirus coverage this weekend was a small but notable leader which deserves attention.

With Downing Street visibly in turmoil with a delayed response that could have cost thousands of lives there appears to be a more troubling ‘d’ in play: Dogma.

Last week the UK government ruled out a Brexit extension despite pleas from the managing director of the International Monetary Fund and others.

As the Sunday Times notes, “people and business were astonished for good reason.

“If we are lucky, and only if we are lucky, the economy will be crawling out of the coronavirus slump by the end of the year.

“Businesses, having devoted all their efforts to surviving the lockdown, have put Brexit preparations on the backburner.

“To inflict them an abrupt change in Britain’s relationship with the EU, or a no-deal Brexit, would be the height of irresponsibility”.

As it goes on to note, it adds to the impression that this is a government that “puts Brexit above everything else” and chimes with Johnson’s infamous “F*** business” quote.

According to a new poll commissioned by a cross-party campaign group two-thirds of Brits believe the UK government “should focus 100 per cent of its energy on dealing with coronavirus for the rest of the year.

That includes nearly half of Conservatives and Leave voters.

Of those who support an extension, 64 per cent want the transition period to be extended ‘indefinitely until the crisis is resolved’.

Even 45 per cent of Brexit Party voters were smart enough to agree; surely it is time for our leaders to follow suit?

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