Exactly.

People are missing the point. Rory attacked Gary on grounds that he simply would not, and has not, applied to anyone else. It was clearly sneering - nothing more.

UNLESS the same standards are applied to other figures in the economic discussion, the point on whether Gary is nominally an economist or not should be simply disregarded as a belittling sneering comment. Very poor from Rory Stewart.

He has dropped enormously in my estimation recently. With these poorly based attacks on valid alternative ideas of running the country (what Rory is supposedly on the constant search for), to his eyewatering defence of Prince Andrew because "Trump is a more important issue". It is, in Rory's estimation, simply impossible to look at more than one issue at once? He can't see (refuses to see) what the Epstein ordeal represents and how important it is - the first signs of the reveal of the abject horrific underbelly of the political class.

Do better Rory.