More and more people now accept the ­British state is doomed

The Omnisis poll for Byline Supplement also found that voters believe that senior members of the Government are more interested in ­“personal gain’” than helping the country.

Only 22% of all voters and a slim ­majority of 55% of Tory voters agree that the Prime ­Minister is meeting his pledge to restore ­integrity to ­government. Rishi Sunak’s own ­ratings are abysmal. Just 27% of voters approve of the way he is doing his job, compared with 47% who ­disapprove.

Pollsters YouGov found that 72% believe ­Sunak will not be PM after the next election, while 67% say he is doing badly on improving the economy. A massive 78% say he is doing badly on improving the NHS and 72% say he’s doing badly on strikes.

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The moral vacuum at Westminster registers abroad too.

Transparency International reports the UK has fallen sharply down the global corruption league table after its report warned of ­“woeful inadequacies” in upholding political ­integrity. Britain fell seven places to 20th on their ­Corruption Index – representing the biggest fall among the G7 countries. The report said there was a “growing list of problems” in the UK.

It cited the awarding of lucrative ­contracts awarded for protective equipment to ­people with connections to the Conservatives, ­including ­Michelle Mone, the Tory peer. It also highlighted the appointment of ­politically connected people to public sector roles.

“If the government is truly committed to ­restoring trust in politics, it needs to overhaul how the standards and conduct of elected ­representatives are regulated to stop the slide,” Transparency International said.

Incidentally, why does a PM committed to “integrity” need someone to tell him right from wrong? It’s almost like he lives in an ethics-free environment, surrounded by people who ­are likewise debauched. Of course, there is another explanation. He knows very well how moral or otherwise his behaviour is but thinks he can get away with it.

Despite this clear warning from ­Transparency International, Westminster corruption continues unabated. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that the Government’s ethics adviser has recused himself from investigating the ­appointment of the BBC head and Tory ­donor, Richard Sharp because he now somewhat ­belatedly recalls his dealings with him.

And ex-BBC newscaster, Jon Sopel, added: “I understand that Richard Sharp was on the panel to select the head of BBC News. I also understand there was unhappiness about his ­inclusion on the panel at the highest levels of the corporation.”

Scots broadcast star, Armando Iannucci, ­insists: “It’s vital the BBC is independent and seen to be independent. Appointing the Prime Minister’s financial broker as its chair throws that independence in the bin.”

You may recall that on his appointment and subsequently, Sharp – and the BBC – insisted his role was purely supervisory and he would not be involved in executive decisions. That ­fiction is now exposed for what it is.

We’ll have more to say about the BBC in ­future columns. For the moment let’s turn to another grade one shambles – Brexit.

Three years after Brexit, only Government ministers and British columnists are still ­rooting for it. In the real world, the rest of us are trying to cope with soaring inflation, ­growing interest rates, plus sky-high prices for heating and food. It is estimated that Brexit will cost the UK ­billions of pounds every year for the ­foreseeable future.

The weakest in the land are under­ continuous attack. As Stephanie Flanders of Bloomberg News points out: “The poorest fifth of the population are now much poorer in the UK than most of the poorest countries in ­central and eastern Europe.”

She added: “They would be better off in poor countries in the European Union.”

READ MORE: Could a Brexit referendum come before a Scottish independence vote?

And this is not to say the UK administration was a beacon of excellence prior to Brexit. ­Indeed, another monument to British ­Government ­incompetence is the so-called High-Speed rail link from London to the “north” that doesn’t quite reach central London and doesn’t quite reach intended bits of the “north” either.

(Of course, Scotland and Wales are still ­required to pay for this monstrosity while ­deriving ­little direct benefit from the huge expenditure ­involved.) More and more people now accept the ­British state is doomed. It was killed by a range of ­factors, principally, but not solely, Brexit. As a matter of urgency, we now need to deal with what ought to replace it in ­Scotland. At a ­minimum, this means not repeating ­ Westminster’s many flaws.

The TNT show has a real treat for you this week. Professor Danny Dorling, author of Rule Britannia – Brexit And The End Of Empire. Joins us at 7pm on Wednesday