INTERESTING times are those to live in stated Chinese philosopher Confucius.

These certainly are but words like uncertain and muddled leap to mind and perhaps frightening.

The 2016 referendum started everything.

It should never have happened.

Cameron and his government were scared of the number of Tory votes flooding to UKIP and must have panicked.

Instead of sharpening up the government’s performance they chickened out and got it wrong.

In the referendum campaign the first casualty was truth and many of us were influenced by fibs such as the large amount of cash that would become available for the NHS, and voted with our hearts, but how many understood the complications of what BREXIT would mean.

For instance who took account of the complicated Irish situation?

The defeated prime minister quickly left the scene but his successor made a major mistake, calling a general election in the hope of strengthening her majority. It did not.

She had dealt herself a difficult hand which she has subsequently played badly.

Our two party political system has not helped.

There have been too many squabbles and not enough clear thinking.

The Queen in her Christmas message offered some common sense.

Basically she said stop fighting between yourselves, use some common sense and act in the national interest. No one listened.

Now we lurch into the unknown, with the certainty that people within the circulation area of this newspaper will lose their jobs.

Just think Airbus and Honda. What will be next? Hubble Point? Decent people will suffer.

We deserve better from our politicians of every party. Their post referendum actions show we are governed by stubborn and incompetent political pygmies.

Bad deal, no deal, delay, perhaps even another referendum all are possible. Just one fact is certain.

The architect of all these troubles is crying all the way to the bank.

David Cameron has been shut away in his shepherd’s hut writing a book which will bring him considerable cash in royalties and serial rights.

He emerges occasionally to make speeches for which he does not come cheap.

If a peerage comes his way I have just the title for him, remembering his parliamentary constituency.

It is simple and accurate.

Lord Dim of Witney.