THE Tories may be in a mess over Brexit, but every cloud has a silver lining and the focus on Europe has allowed the Government to get away with a lot on other important foreign policy issues.

How many people noticed that the Tory Government were forced to admit that the 2011 overthrow and killing of President Gaddafi in Libya has had calamitous outcomes for the people of that country?

These are not my words but those of Foreign Office Minister, Mark Field who must be unique in terms of government ministers, in that he spoke the truth.

It is only eight years since arrogant, self-righteous ex-Prime Minister, David Cameron, persuaded NATO to bomb Libya to stop a so-called humanitarian crisis.

No such crisis existed, in fact the people of Libya enjoyed the highest living standards in the continent of Africa, but this did not stop the mainstream media and Parliament from swallowing this lie hook line and sinker.

In fact, only 13 MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell voted against this disastrous intervention, and once again they have been proved right.

Today Libya is in political and economic meltdown with a civil war raging across the country.

As in Iraq, Al-Qaeda and ISIS-inspired terrorist groups flourish and public slave markets where black Africans are sold have been introduced.

Compared to Brexit this might not seem too important, but British intervention has been a catastrophe to those dying and suffering unnecessarily in Libya today.

John Gilmore, Bishop Auckland