Brexit causes mass school failure

The Observer leads with this story.  Shouty headlines and weaker copy with the added spice of being based on a leak:

Secret report reveals government fear of schools chaos after no-deal Brexit 

Schools may have to close, exams could be disrupted and fresh food for pupils’ meals could run short because of panic buying with prices soaring by up to 20%, according to a secret Department for Education analysis of the risks of a no-deal Brexit obtained by the Observer...The five-page document – marked “Official Sensitive” and with the instruction “Do Not Circulate” – also raises the possibility of teacher absences caused by travel disruption, citing schools in Kent as particularly at risk...On the dangers of food shortages to schools, it suggests that informing the public of the risks could make matters even worse.

So the Observer promptly leaks it, of course. Lower down:

the document says: “In light of any food shortages or price increases we will communicate how schools can interpret the food menu standards flexibly. DfE may make exceptional payments – or submit a prepared bid to HM Treasury for additional funding. Worst case scenario estimate of the increased costs – £40 to £85m a year for schools in relation to free school meal provision based on price increases of 10-20%.”...Under a heading School Travel, the analysis makes clear that the potential problems are “not countrywide”, and cites Dover in Kent as at the highest risk of disruption, stating: “Risk of travel disruption could result in school and early years settings closures, pupil and staff absence and exam disruption (though to a lesser extent in Oct due to limited exams being sat).”

So is it Armageddon?

A DfE spokesperson said: “While we don’t comment on leaked documents, our … guidance to schools and other stakeholders already provides advice on EU exit preparations for schools, including food provision, medical supplies and guidance for EU nationals. We are confident provision for schools will be protected in the event of the UK having to leave the EU without an agreement and there are robust contingency plans in place to ensure schools are prepared in all eventualities.”

The Observer editorial has a classic smear tactic, uniting Trump andJohnson into one all-purpose right-wing populist movement,however vague and conditional:

Trump’s attempt to brand as unpatriotic extremists those progressives who seek to create a fairer, inclusive and more equal society is a familiar one in Britain. Johnson, trapped by his own hardline Brexit rhetoric and hounded from the right by Nigel Farage, is not above adopting a version of Trump’s divisive politics of identity and grievance if he thinks it will help him survive.

 How does the liberal-progressive left respond to the menace of immoral, unscrupulous rightwing populism, personified by Trump and the Johnson cabinet? [Via a bit of a damp squib] To defeat it, and resist the global rise of authoritarianism, liberals and progressives of all stripes must join forces around a programme of reform. In Britain, that means considering parliamentary and electoral coalitions of the willing, focused in the first instance on dispelling the Brexit nightmare.

The Observer is les clearabout how this tactical and opportunist stuff will meet the demand for

honest, practical leaders ready to shake things up and address vital issues of income inequality, healthcare, education, infrastructure and the climate crisis.