Remember the parable of “the talents?” It’s the one where the man with a single talent went away and buried it. That’s Johnson to a T – his talent for plausible lying buried beneath slew of bluster, cowardice and incompetence.

His latest wheeze which, we are told, is a pursuit of “talents,” will commence in February in a drive to recruit scientists and mathematicians. Where from? Don’t ask – you might not like the answer. The recruiting ground will, of course, be English speaking countries where their prospects are less than they would gain by coming to the UK. My guess is that we are talking, primarily, of the Sub-Continent . I would have added Eastern Europe, but after the uncertainty generated by the Flatulent One and his cronies in recent years I doubt if that will prove ripe territory.

However, there it is, Johnson wants to be surrounded by “talent.” In which case he should take the opportunity and shed his government of the two least talented figures to sit on any front bench in living memory: Pee-Pee Patel, and Javid, the Urban Spaceman.