Daily photo - 6: Brexit - we really are in The Thick of It

I generally like to follow current affairs. It stems from childhood when my parents would avidly watch all the evening television news bulletins at 6pm, at 9pm, 10pm and even Newsnight too.

We would often talk about the state of the world, and the various politics going on in different countries as well as in the UK.

That's how I learned about such things as Robert Mugabe, and the work he did to liberate what was then known as Rhodesia from apartheid and white minority rule; or the stories about how the UK tried so hard to join the European Union (then known as the European Economic Community) in the 1960s before being eventually accepted in 1972.

So following news and current affairs is something that has stayed with me. So I followed the dramatic collapse of the Zimbawean economy as Mugabe imposed tyrannic rule on his people, how he was overthrown as head of state, and his death today.

However, for the first time ever I actually don't feel like following the news. These days it is so depressing seeing what is going on in the world, and even worse to see that our government has made a complete mess of managing the EU referendum, and the vote to leave.

We have had three Prime Ministers in as many years - all of them from the Conservative Party, and none of them seemed to be in control of what they were doing, and the current Prime Minister appears to be out of control. 

It is like watching very bad episodes of The Thick of It, the political satire written by Armando Ianucci. 

Watching Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivering a speech at a police training centre in West Yorkshire was pure cringe. 

His speech was incoherent, he was bumbling around all over the place, forgetting his words and the messages he did give were completely off piste. It was so bad that even one of the trainee police officers standing behind him fainted while he was speaking!

On any other day I might have felt sorry for him, especially as just a few hours earlier his own brother had resigned from the government over the direction that Johnson the Older is taking the country.

But the fact is that our Prime Minister's policy is so tranchant and draconian that it is causing all kinds of turmoil within Parliament, and every day sees another drama. Since Boris Johnson assumed office on 24th July this year he has had 25 MPs and ministers leave his government (including 21 sackings of MPs who did not tow his line); Parliament attempting to seize power from the Johnson government; Prime Minister Johnson planning to close down Parliament for 5 weeks - right at the time when we should be debating the country's future. 

And after all that the UK may end up being out in the cold, no longer part of any trading block and with no agreed trading or legislative arrangements. I can't feel any sympathy for someone who behaves so recklessly.

So while we laugh at fictional episodes of The Thick of It, the real thing that we are experiencing is Thick of It plus plus, and it's no laughing matter.

So I would rather not follow the news and maybe just immerse myself in The Beano or even old episodes of Love Island!

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It's been over a year since the UK voted to leave the EU, and we are 18 months out from officially leaving this historic establishment. However, it doesn't look like the UK Government has got its act together on what is meant to be going on, and how we will exit. Some of the fundamentals such as remaining part of the customs union, and allowing freedom of movement of EU citizens is not finalised. However, the UK still wants to negotiate trade deals even though the other important matters, including the Irish question - have yet to be decided!

Meanwhile, there's a massive swathe of people, including the UK Government who hadn't actually wanted to leave in the first place. How do you effect something that you don't actually want to happen, and that you hadn't expected to be doing!

This is all borne out by the regular protests that take place on Parliament Square, or on Millbank, opposite the Palace of Westminster. I regularly pass them on my ride home from work. I get used to hearing what they have to say and it is now just a regular feature along the way, like the traffic, the road furniture and the hundreds of tourists.

But the protest that was on today, was particularly noteworthy as it was a mass rally that took up all the space on Parliament Square. It was organised by the Liberal Democrat Party, and there were various speakers including Bob Geldof (of Live Aid fame) and a local Member of Parliament, Tom Brake.

I don't know how effective these protests will be, but it certainly shows that Britain is not overwhelmingly ready to leave the EU. I hope somebody hears that, and officials act accordingly.