Government hoped to sell new guidance as ‘Brexit benefit’. / The government expects zero economic benefit from the reintroduction of crown symbols on pint glasses, ministers have admitted.

While the picture’s hardly pretty and certainly not what advocates of Brexit envisioned, none of it surprises economists. As a former Bank of England official observed: “You run a trade war against yourself, bad things happen.”

Business minister mocked for ‘ludicrous’ attempt to quantify ‘Brexit benefit’.

Business Minister Paul Scully questioned by MPs on the European Scrutiny Committee on how the Government intends to safeguard the integrity of the UK’s product safety standards, including the new ‘UKCA’ safety marking for products in Great Britain.

Ministers are saying “this won’t be as bad as the winter of discontent”. I dread to think what they’ll promise next.