The Yorkshire Post says: Another mess as Government cancels its own early holiday

THE GOVERNMENT could not have been more disingenuous when it cited a lack of official business for its now-failed attempt to bring forward Parliament's six- week summer recess by five days.
Theresa May is, once again, fighting for her political life.Theresa May is, once again, fighting for her political life.
Theresa May is, once again, fighting for her political life.

Though no crucial Commons votes appear to be scheduled for the coming days, voters – the most important people of all – saw straight through this risible ploy to silence MPs.

They realised that it was orchestrated by Theresa May’s remaining loyalists to protect the Prime Minister from her own feuding colleagues as her Brexit White Paper is challenged, Ministerial resignations mount and so-called ‘blue on blue’ attacks between rival Brexit factions intensify in their fury. Such chicanery, however, further undermines trust in a fragile Government that no longer appears in control of events or its own fate.

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Though chief whips do not, by convention, speak in public, Julian Smith – the Skipton and Ripon MP who is responsible for implementing the Government’s business – owes the country an explanation in a week which began with speeches in Monday’s tetchy debate on trade policy being curtailed – shamefully – to just three minutes because of time constraints. What a farce.

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith is the Government's chief whip.Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith is the Government's chief whip.
Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith is the Government's chief whip.

Marginalising Parliament like this not only maligns hardworking MPs when many voters still regard their elected representatives with suspicion following the expenses scandal of 2009, and last night’s climbdown, though welcome, still smacked of a Government in disarray.

When the country voted in the 2016 EU referendum for Westminster to take back control of the nation’s sovereignty, it was not to enable whips to abuse their authority like this. For, while Tory MPs argue amongst themselves, the country at large awaits leadership – and answers – on Brexit and other pressing issues, such as the scandalous state of 
the region’s railways, which do still need addressing in the real world.