God save the Queen - from Brexit. And the rest of us...?

Cartoon is by Ben Jennings: Guardian 4th February 2019

So we know now that the Queen is going to be safe after Brexit. I bet you find that just as comforting as I do. It’s just a shame that the rest of us are going to be screwed - royally. So we learn that contingency plans are in place to evacuate the Royals in the event of civil unrest after Brexit. Are they really necessary? After all, she already spends most of her time in Norfolk, which, let’s face it, is about as far from civilisation as it’s possible to get. Anyway, the biggest threat to her safety seems to be the refusal of her family to wear seatbelts or be bound by the Highway Code.

There are also plans in place to cope with shortages of food and medicine and the government is readying the army to go onto the streets to keep the populace - that's us - in place. It’s all a very far cry from the promised sunlit uplands and Brexit representing great and exciting opportunities. When they told us that Brexit was going to open up a whole new exciting vista of opportunities we didn’t think that they meant opportunities for looting and rioting, did we?

This is the quality of intellect that is possessed by the British establishment. “We are worried that there may be civil unrest because of Brexit. We need to make plans to evacuate the queen so she isn't attacked.” Not “Think we should reconsider?” “No, Brexit is the will of the people.”

This is the magnitude of the crisis that the British state has got itself into. Still, it's good to learn that, despite everything, the Windsors will be OK.