which was night VMC that frankly only a nutcase would consider as anything but IMC from the outset
For "nutcase" you could substitute "any graduate of the PPL training system".
In the night rating you are taught that when you have it you can fly at night. They don't qualify it in any way, like min sky brightness, etc etc etc.
Night flight
is IMC - unless you are cheating and doing it 5 minutes after official night time like most PPLs renewing their 90 day currency
Same with the basic PPL and being able to fly in 3000m vis. That's practically IMC, too.
Etc
Etc.
I am not suggesting the rules are tightened; they are already ridiculously tight for an activity which has so little potential for 3rd party damage (and the State has exactly zero business dictating what personal risk an individual takes on). But training should be made more honest, rather than just taking £8000 from every punter walking through the door, then giving him a piece of paper, patronisingly telling him "a license is a license to learn, young man" (followed by half a dozen of the other stupid and useless smart-ar*e phrases that litter this activity) and bugge*ing off with the next student...