The Yorkshire Post says: Brexit '“ time for Theresa May to take back control

After all, Theresa May was due to travel to the G7 summit this weekend, and then a full gathering of EU leaders at the end of June, to set out this country’s trade policy and customs arrangements.

It’s not going to happen – Downing Street now describe the forthcoming meeting of European leaders as “a staging post” which is, in effect, admission that the Government does not have a settled position, not least because of the specific implications for Northern Ireland.

From the moment Mrs May decided to risk all and call a snap election so soon after invoking Article 30, the process that formally began Britain’s two-year withdrawal from the EU, she has been facing a race against time to come up with a policy that not only satisfies Parliament, but also the EU and her party’s own feuding factions.

The Prime Minister did not help herself when she effectively excluded business leaders, and also Opposition parties, from the Brexit policy process at a time when the country needed a clear unity of purpose. This has only served to exacerbate Tory ‘blue on blue’ attacks as senior figures feud over Brexit and others, like Home Secretary Sajid Javid, break ranks over Mrs May’s inflexible approach towards immigration policy.

Though it’s welcome that the Prime Minister did meet business leaders, she needs to do far more as manufacturers warn that the uncertainty over Brexit negotiations is affecting future investment.

To paraphrase a slogan used so adeptly by Leave campaigners, it’s now Mrs May who needs to take back control of this process so the country’s exit from the EU is as smooth as possible.