How can those ministers who defied a three-line whip ever be trusted again?
If this Prime Minister won’t or can’t sack them, her successor should. That is the only way to preserve the basis on which government functions.
Our survey. Over three in four Tory activists are against extension.
The thinking of most of the 78 per cent will be that Britain should leave the EU on March 29 as expected.
After a turbulent evening, good news for May. Support for her deal doubles among Party members. Our survey.
A majority of our respondents still oppose it. But the trend is clear: fear of No Brexit is driving activists reluctantly to back the Withdrawal Agreement.
Collective responsibility, May-style. Defy the Whip – and you won’t be fired.
Though there may have been extenuating circumstances – namely, contradictory instructions from Number Ten and the Whips respectively.
Three in five Party members believe that May should resign. Our snap survey.
The bulk of these responses came in before this evening’s shambles. But there is no means of challenging her in a confidence ballot until late next autumn.
Andrew Gimson’s Commons sketch: May is now well enough to be angry
The Prime Minister is also astute enough to get Gove to make the case for Meaningful Vote Three.
Our snap survey. Eight out of ten Party members want No Deal kept on the table.
Only one of those selected this evening, that tabled in the name of Damian Green (“the Malthouse amendment”) does so.
The Spring Statement was destined for obscurity before the Chancellor took to his feet
Even if the headlines weren’t hogged by the ongoing Brexit votes, what could the Chancellor really announce?
The amendment that could save the Conservative Party today. And even, just possibly, Brexit itself.
A functioning Government would whip for Malthouse Two – the plan backed by Steve Baker, Nicky Morgan, Iain Duncan Smith, Damian Green, Simon Hart and others.
May loses Brexit vote by 242 to 391. The majority against her is 149.
Last time round, the Government lost by 230. There will now a free vote tomorrow on No Deal. And if that falls, a Thursday vote on extension.
Andrew Gimson’s Commons sketch: The Prime Minister evokes sympathy, not approval
Nor could the Attorney General provide anything for his colleagues to cheer.
Andrew Gimson’s Commons sketch: How much more of this agony can May take?
The Prime Minister finds herself threatened, like Lord North, with the role of scapegoat for a failed policy.
And it’s a thumbs-down for the revised deal from Cash, Raab and the committee of eight lawyers. No surprises there.
Which presumably means, since Dodds is one of the eight, that the DUP takes the same view.
Cox does his duty. In a single deadly paragraph, he shreds May’s revised deal.
“The United Kingdom would have…no internationally lawful means of exiting the Protocol’s arrangements, save by agreement.”
Don’t forget the arithmetic. In addition to the ERG, watch the DUP, Tory Remainers and soft Brexiters, and Labour rebels.
There is more than one moving part in this complex day, and some could counteract one another.