Brexit: Frustrated Institute of Directors puts forward some sensible ideas but common sense is on holiday in Britain

Extending the Brexit timetable and adopting some of its other suggestions would avoid the cliff edge some Tory MPs want to tip their country over

The Institute of Directors: One of Britain's more sensible business groups

Did someone forget to inform the Institute of Directors that common sense has taken a long holiday from Britain?

The IoD has become one of the more sensible business groups in recent years. Its latest missive continues the trend, spelling out options for transitional Brexit arrangements and urging the cabinet to get on with choosing something so its members can get to work doing what they do best.

You can feel the frustration coming through as you read the report, with the Conservative Party continuing its internal squabbling, all the while giving its traditional friends in business the finger, as a substitute for getting things done. The only business leaders that get a proper hearing these days are the proprietors of right wing newspapers. Everyone else, from wealth creating entrepreneurs, to Britain’s biggest and best companies, have been told to get knotted.

For what it’s worth, the IoD suggests extending the Article 50 deadline, which would be a good idea given how much time ministers have wasted on posturing and losing elections they didn’t have to call, which could lead to continued membership of the European Economic Area, a transitional customs agreement and an agreement to accept the application of EU law for a time.

It is, in short, the sort of programme a country run by sensible people, with the best interests of its citizens at heart, would pay due regard to.

Following it would facilitate business planning, and investment, while minimising economic disruption. There would be no “cliff edge scenario”, which frightens the life out of more than just business leaders and would see Britain falling into the Atlantic while screaming “lifeboat! lifeboat!”.

It might even facilitate salvaging something from the wreckage of London’s financial centre, large parts of which are in the process of following common sense into the departure lounge.

Exit from the EU is a stupid and deeply damaging policy, but such arrangements would salvage something moderately sensible from it.

The trouble is the Government’s Brexit agenda is still basically being dominated by a cancerous corps of swivel eyed ideological loons, who don’t give two hoots about the economy, businesses, or the people who share the country with them, a big majority of whom want to be in the single market.

But kudos to the IoD for going into bat for its members. It’s at least making an attempt.

It needs allies, however, in Westminster and beyond. That cliff edge is getting uncomfortably close and some of the consequences haven’t even been recognised, let alone planned for. This is what Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary’s intervention earlier this week was all about. You may remember that he said there may be no flights to the continent if a deal is not done regarding airspace.

Unfortunately, he’s a noted big mouth, while the IoD is a lobby group. More is still needed for there to be a realistic chance of waking the Government up. Perhaps one of those letters to the FT with multiple signatories, written in language that is more blunt than the business community usually likes to use.

It’s not clear whether even that would work, but it’s surely worth a try, given what British business, not to mention the rest of us, have to lose.

I suppose the one consolation from all this is that the Tory Party’s loons do rather look set to destroy the party’s undeserved reputation for economic competence.

But that may come as only slim comfort to those caught by the chill wind they are blowing over the nation.