Five Brexit facts you need to know today
Morning,
Welcome to the twilight Parliament.
MPs are now in charge of Brexit yet not in control of the executive.
They have the power but not the authority of office.
This is the extraordinary position we find ourselves in after last night’s historic vote which saw Theresa May become the first Prime Minister to have control of Parliament wrested from their hands .
The Conservative MP Nicky Morgan offered the best summary of why MPs had taken this action in a tweet last night: “The PM can’t make a statement one week saying that Parliament doesn’t know what it wants on Brexit & then expect MPs not to rise to the challenge of indicating what we do want.”
Brexit is now in the hands of a cross-party “Cabinet” of grandees led by Oliver Letwin.
Under their guidance a parliament of individuals now has 24 hours to try to coalesce around a Brexit which may command the backing of the majority of MPs.
It is, of course, possible that when MPs come to vote tomorrow on the various scenarios they fail to agree on any of them.
But if they do rally round Norway Plus, for example, then Mrs May will face the choice of either trying thwart that outcome, in which case MPs may legislate to force the Government to adopt the policy, or surrender to the will of the House.
Which is why many believe she will take the third option of a general election.
Her hopes now rest on the ERG waking up to the fact their Brexit dream is about to be stolen from them and backing her withdrawal agreement.
But these Tories have signalled they will not fold unless the DUP falls into line as well which, at the moment, looks unlikely.
There are sages of great wisdom and insight capable of reciting pi to the 10,000th number while simultaneously decoding Enigma machines who would struggle to divine Mrs May’s current Brexit strategy.
The Prime Minister will hold yet another Cabinet meeting this morning to try to find a way forward.
Never before has a Prime Minister been in such a pitiful position.
She is bereft of all authority, unable to control Parliament and nominally in charge of bitterly divided party.
The three resignations last night took the number of ministerial departures on her watch to 26.
This included the Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, a thoughtful and diligent man who understands the Middle East better than almost anyone else in Parliament.
To lose such expertise may not be the gravest consequence of Brexit but it is depressing none the less.
Today's agenda:
9am - Theresa May chairs yet another Cabinet.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid will chair a meeting of the Serious Violence Taskforce.
10am - Met Commissioner Cressida Dick is questioned by Home Affairs committee on violent crime.
11.30am - Matt Hancock take Health and Social Care questions in the Commons.
What I am reading:
Shameless plug for my piece on why I dislike expenses stories
And
Nothing to do with Brexit. Brave, painful but ultimately heart-warming piece by John Crace on addiction
