Cease this destructive game of vanity politics

UNQUESTIONABLY, Theresa May spoke for an exhausted and long-suffering public last night in Downing Street.

In a powerful address to the nation, she agreed that millions of down-to-earth, reasonable Britons were fed up of pompous Parliamentarians contemplating their navels on Brexit. Indeed, she was also fed up.

Lest we forget, in June 2016 voters gave the political class an explicit mandate to steer the UK safely out of the EU. But a mere eight days before the country is scheduled to leave the bloc, our elected representatives are failing miserably to resolve the crisis.

Insulated from real life, they are more engrossed in pursuing their bizarre ideological obsessions than in compromising for the nation’s good. Has there ever been such blatant political narcissism?

Do they not realise millions across the country are watching, dumbfounded at Westminster’s spectacular indecision and angry at the looming betrayal.

So we applaud the Prime Minister’s decision to speak directly to the public, over the heads of incompetent MPs and hard Brexit zealots who have wasted 1,000 days.

Pitting Parliament against the people, she sided with the people.

In an authoritative speech, she said: ‘You have had enough. You are tired of infighting, political games, arcane procedural rows... I agree. I am on your side. It is now time for MPs to decide.’ We concur wholeheartedly!

Earlier in a dramatic day, Mrs May had – to ‘great personal regret’ – requested a threemonth extension to Article 50 to avoid locking the country into a grim limbo.

European Council president Donald Tusk agreed, with a condition: She must push her Brexit deal across the line by March 29. Truly, we are entering the Last Chance Saloon.

Yes, Mrs May’s agreement is flawed. But it honours the referendum, takes back control of our borders and the vast majority of our economy while stopping annual payments. We also escape the EU’s political clutches.

Now is the time for hardline Tory Brexiteers to stand up and be counted. If the Remaindominated Parliament can block Britain leaving with No Deal, it will.

Who knows what MPs will then connive? Permanent customs union? Second referendum? Brexit cancelled? All are infinitely worse than the May agreement.

Surely the ERG wouldn’t rather take us all over the cliff than pause and listen to what real people are saying: Do the deal.

If Brexit does not happen, it will be a democratic catastrophe. And who will voters blame? The Tories.

By default, Jeremy Corbyn could end up in No 10. Yet he again displayed his utter unsuitability for high office by leaving crossparty talks he had demanded because members of The Independent Group were present (even though he’s quite happy talking to his anti-Semitic friends Hamas).

Are the Tories really ready to risk a Marxist, IRA-supporting Prime Minister who would destroy the economy, the Union and everything they hold dear?

For once, Parliament must act in the national interest and back the deal. As Mrs May said: ‘The people deserve better than what this House has given them so far.’