Chris Moncrieff

THE scale and ferocity of some of the criticism aimed at the Prime Minister by members of her own party is little short of a disgrace.

HOW barmy is this? And how scandalous, too? The Government is being forced to pour millions of pounds of taxpayers' money down the drain in order to take part in the forthcoming EU parliamentary elections – the last thing in the world it wanted to do.

IT never rains but it comes down in bucket-loads for the Prime Minister.

WHITHER Theresa May? At the time of writing, she is still Prime Minister, but her position seems to be highly precarious, with varying factions of Tories - including some ministers - fighting each other over her fate.

ARE we witnessing the greatest parliamentary betrayal ever inflicted on the British people? Forget all the complex Brexit motions and their even more complicated amendments, and the otiose language being used at Westminster, and consider instead the simple issue of the honour of parliamentarians – because it is now seriously in question.

WHAT a carve-up! Labour, at the time of writing, has already suffered no fewer than nine defections from its ranks, while the equivalent tally in the Conservative Party is three. And there are expectations that more defectors will follow over the coming days and weeks.

WHATEVER happened to the parliamentary whips, once the feared scourge of Westminster? Brexit has transformed them into figures of virtual impotence.

THE embattled Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has become the latest whipping boy in the seemingly interminable saga of Brexit. He has been branded by Labour as the worst Transport Secretary in Britain’s history, alongside inevitable demands that he be sacked forthwith.

THE ski slopes of Europe will be strangely bereft of British politicians this month, as MPs have had their February half-term holiday cancelled to enable Parliament to complete as much of the pre-Brexit business as they can before “D-Day”, March 29. But given the way MPs have handled, or rather mishandled, this crisis so far, cynics are tempted to suggest the holiday should go ahead – giving mischief-making MPs fewer opportunities to make a bad situation that much worse.

THOSE rogue elements in the House of Commons who appear to be doing their utmost to prevent Brexit from ever happening will, if successful in their tawdry efforts, be guilty of one of the greatest parliamentary betrayals of all time. They seem to be oblivious of the fact it was Parliament which ordained the referendum, and it was Parliament which vowed to honour the outcome of that referendum – a significant majority for those who want the UK to leave the EU.