It is not possible to govern a country in easy times with a party split into two opposing forces so that it is both government and opposition, all sitting round the Cabinet table. Even if they are singing like birds. If times are critical, as they are now, to attempt it and place at risk the national interest, is potentially catastrophic. It is manifestly not ‘what is best for Britain.’
The EU is fed up with the inability of the UK to articulate what kind of Brexit it wants. The Brexit Department is in trouble, with its top man moved out to report directly to May. The economy is slowing while inflation is rising. Industry, commerce and business generally are becoming really agitated at the lack of clarity at the nature of the Brexit for which they must plan. Mutterings about closing factories and moving plants to the EU are growing louder. Time is running out. Unrest in the public sector is building.
So on Thursday Theresa May must read the riot act to her Cabinet and make it clear that she will sack the Brexiteers if she has to, as they have to the last one, proved muddled, incoherent and incompetent, with not even the slightest idea how to bring their project to fruition without crashing the economy, splitting families and ruining people’s lives. They either fall in line behind her on a new conciliatory approach to the EU, based upon what is possible with the 27 and what is needed to set our country on a path to a sensible Brexit, or they go.
In the Commons there are about 150 ideological Brexiteers living in cuckoo land who think they can deliver on all the lies and falsehoods and wishful thinking they have, without conscience, pedalled fraudulently to the people, and 500 who will back a realistic and sensible Brexit settlement which will save our country. That is May’s majority.
Either she has the courage to put country above party and mobilise that majority to govern, or her government will implode. We will soon know. Time for the Tory quarrel over the decades has finally run out.