Don’t panic, saboteurs

IN the end, they less resembled conquering warriors, than a shambolic Dad’s Army.

Challenged that the plot to unseat Theresa May mirrored a script from the classic comedy, Jacob Rees-Mogg joked: ‘I’ve always admired Captain Mainwaring.’ In his head, he may have thought: ‘Don’t panic!’

Rebel Tories have so far spectacularly failed to muster the 48 letters needed for a no confidence vote. But danger still lurks – more saboteurs might emerge. For now, though, cooler heads must prevail.

Malcontents should heed senior minister Alan Duncan and ditch their scheming. Their actions, he says, ‘amount to a declaration of war within the party’, causing damage of ‘historic significance’.

The Mail is first to admit Mrs May’s Brexit deal is not perfect. But now is the time to put Britain’s best interests first and support her. She has displayed admirable resilience, pragmatism and a sense of public duty absent in the plotters.

In Brussels today, she might wring out a better settlement from the EU. If successful, the British public – desperate to avoid the economic catastrophe of no deal or no Brexit at all – will doubtless approve.

Meanwhile, in febrile Westminster, Mrs May is under pressure from the DUP, who shamefully abstained on Budget votes on Monday – despite pocketing £2billion to prop up the Government.

Yes, they are angry the deal risks leaving Northern Ireland with different rules from the UK – temporarily. But they are less quick to moan about divergent laws on abortion, gay marriage and tax cuts.

The DUP and Brexit rebels are playing with fire. If Mrs May falls, we face a general election. Then Britain could wake to the nightmare of Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street – an IRA-supporting Marxist who would sink the economy. To paraphrase the Dad’s Army theme song: ‘Who do they think they are kidding?’