Hanson heads for UK with party in disarray

PAULINE Hanson has briefly left her One Nation worries behind, flying off to London on a Parliamentary delegation.

Days after breaking down in tears on live TV and accusing her One Nation colleague Brian Burston of stabbing her in the back and trying to defect, Senator Hanson appeared exhausted and isolated as she prepared to start a five-day trip of the UK and France.

“I’m not discussing what’s happening in Australia,’’ she said, as she touched down with Parliamentary colleagues at Heathrow Airport yesterday.

Asked if Senator Burston had taken her advice and resigned from the Senate, she replied: “I’ve made my statement about that. That’s all I am saying.’’

The Queensland senator has seen her party representation drop from four in the Senate to just two after her fallout with Senator Burston, who she called on this week to do the “honourable thing’’ and resign from both One Nation and the Senate.

This would allow Senator Hanson to appoint a new senator to her team and prop up the imploding minor party.

However, Senator Burston, from NSW, is sitting tight and has not relinquished his seat.

The pair, who had been clashing for weeks, finally fell out completely over Senator Hanson’s decision to backflip on her pledge to support the Government’s proposed cuts.

The loss of Senator Burston, following the resignation of Fraser Anning one hour after being sworn into the Parliament, has cost One Nation its balance-of-power role in the Senate.

During her absence, her one remaining senator, Peter Georgiou, from Western Australia, was forced to deny rumours he too was considering leaving the party.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has refused to weigh in on whether the coalition would snap up ousted One Nation senator Brian Burston as they had Tasmanian former Jacquie Lambie Network senator Steve Martin.