Indeed - quite aside from all the associated madness that's going down in Westminster, the fact that cabinet ministers have defied the whip means that the sacred 'collective responsibility' has gone out the window - and there are reports that some of those people were given private assurances that they wouldn't lose their jobs if they voted against or abstained.

Mrs May has taken on all the characteristics of a stubborn bogey that no amount of picking, blowing or tweezers will remove; she has lost credibility, authority and whatever gravitas she once possessed - and despite all that, she apparently intends to bring her deal back twice more, in an attempt to chip away at the dissenters.

I suspect that the sole reason she's still in her role is that the Tories realise that a leadership contest now would seem self-indulgent, given the looming Brexit deadline - and would damage them in the subsequent GE.

That and the fact that nobody wants the job [inow[/i. Instead they’d rather have the easier job of picking up the pieces once the decision is made without being tainted by it. I suspect that’s why the likes of Johnson and Raab gave up the responsibility of being in the cabinet.

I noticed on morning tv this morning that the DUP are considering excepting the deal (wonder if that was another tax payers bribe), she is also apparently trying to get the ERG on board saying that Corbyn's deal is much softer than hers, so if they don't vote for her deal they could end up with a much softer Brexit.

The ERG have put forward a motion to rule out another referendum, they are awaiting to see if the speaker excepts it

Even though I was really hoping her deal would have been excepted, its been defeated end of

Exactly this.
It's far easier for all of the future "contenders" to pick fault but, allow her to get past the Brexit deal.
After that there seems little doubt that she will be gone and under normal circumstances, she would have been removed many months ago.
Any new party leader cant look good while the Brexit fiasco remains "unsolved".

No doubt she's on manoeuvres - and I wouldn't rule out the DUP swinging to support her - but there will be a heavy price; that's what they do.

I see also that the Speaker has the power to prevent her bringing the same deal back to the House for a third time, under a parliamentary rule that prevents motions being brought to the house again and again - and Bercow is considering that.

Ironic that the people who are so against the people being given another vote, claiming "do you just keep having them until you get the result you want?" seem quite content to let Mrs May do exactly that with her awful deal that nobody likes.

This whole saga (pantomime) shows how screwed our parliamentary democracy is, even when a bill passes the commons the unelected Lords get a say.

The British Public's decision to leave the EU (which indicates the very fact they've termed it "Brexit" tells you how serious they are) was based on lies, from both leave and remain.

Was it Einstein (it is claimed) that said repeating the same actions but expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.

Absolutely, we must get rid of that unelected jobs for the boys institution called the Lord. Our elected representatives in the commons should represent the people.

The problem is even some constituency MP's don' t vote as their constituents wish.

I'm not so sure about that, it only takes the E.R.G. lot & the D.U.P. to do a U-turn & agree to May's shoddy deal.

Yes, it's not what they want, but surely it's slightly better in their eyes to what we have now. What a shambolic situation that the whole Brexit fiasco will probably decided by ten bribed Irish M.P.'s.

If it's true that the majority of M.P.'s are remainers I just don't understand why they don't band together & just kick this catastrophe out of the ball park, for the sake of the country.

It's simple, most MP's are about self-preservation.

I'm sure that many of them wish as hard as they can for a time machine, so they can go back and prevent the imbecile Cameron from holding the referendum in the first place; it was one the most inept political decisions in history.

The Tory habit of putting party before country has really f**ked us this time - they landed us in this mess in an attempt to oust UKIP, then fought a flaccid and ineffectual campaign to remain, and now we have a zombie PM fronting a chaotic government, desperately trying to force through a steaming turd of legislation that only disaster capitalists and offshore trust fund millionaires will benefit from; and whilst a majority of MP's *want* to remain, they're too scared of the backlash to do anything meaningful about it.

What would happen if all the Remain MP's band together and say "actually no - you made a choice, but it was an unwise choice, so we're not doing it. Now do your worst?"

they would all get voted out and we'd end up with the disaster of Corbyn in number ten.

They need to pull their fingers out. Most voted to invoke A50 so they've made their bed. I'd have more respect for them if they came up with a genuine cross party plan and got it through rather than wondering if they'd remain MPs afterwards. Politics is what is holding things back, nothing else.

I've a feeling it'll end up being May's deal or No deal since MPs seem unable to think for themselves or have the backbone in enough numbers to form a consensus that will fly. Useless fecktards.

Agree 100%
Junker has basically said if we ask for an extentension it will be years, not months. GE here we come!

They would be threatened with rape & being hung drawn & quartered, even more than they are right now!