Steerpike

It’s official, 48 letters of no confidence have been submitted to the chairman of the 1922 committee, Graham Brady, triggering a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister this evening. If she loses this, she will be required to stand down and a Conservative leadership election will begin. As James reports on Coffee House, already the next potential leaders of the Tory party are jostling to take Theresa May’s place. But any Tory MP who wants to take the Conservative Party throne has a tough ride ahead. First, they have to be popular among their fellow MPs, in an internal election that narrows the process down to two candidates. Then, after hustings, they have to win a vote among Conservative grassroots members.

Poor old Theresa May. The PM is hopping across Europe in a desperate bid to try and salvage her Brexit deal. But quite predictably things aren't going well. After arriving in Berlin to meet Angela Merkel, Theresa May got off to a bad start – by getting locked in her car. https://twitter.com/SkyNewsPolitics/status/1072463780007809024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Mr S is pleased to report that it wasn't long before the PM was freed, although he suspects that not all Tory MPs will be pleased about that....

It’s been a day of high emotions in the House of Commons after Theresa May moved to postpone the vote on her Brexit deal. With Brexiteers, the SNP and Labour MPs distinctly unimpressed at the move, it all got a bit too much for one MP this evening in the Chamber. Step forward Lloyd Russell-Moyle. The Labour MP this evening made headlines after he broke a Parliament taboo. In protest at May’s decision to delay the vote, Russell-Moyle grabbed the ceremonial mace. This is against the rules and he has been suspended from the Commons as a result: https://twitter.com/dcakraemer/status/1072234234901860353?s=21 The Labour MP has so far succeeded in uniting warring factions in condemnation at his actions. Not that Russell-Moyle seems worried, he’s since been spotted in the pub.

When it comes to columnists who lean towards Remain, few are more vocal in their criticism of Brexit than Times columnist Jenni Russell. So, when Russell has to step in to warn arch-Remainer Alastair Campbell that he has gone too far, you know something has gone seriously wrong. This was the case on Newsnight on Friday evening. Russell used her appearance on the Brexit panel to explain why she had now gone cold on the idea of a second referendum: there has not been a big shift in public opinion and a no deal Brexit could win: 'The point is that absolutely no effort so far has gone into saying to people anything other than ‘you are mistaken, your lives are rubbish and they are going to be even worse if we leave.

Oh dear. With the government on course for a historic defeat next week on Theresa May's deal, this is the point in the campaign that Downing Street had hoped to see MPs coming round. Alas not. So, it was a curious choice by the government to allow ITV exclusive access to Chief Whip Julian Smith's attempts to woo unruly MPs. Smith was filmed trying to convince Leaver Philip Davies to back the deal: https://twitter.com/itvnews/status/1070727441776328706 What ever the intention, Mr S know who he thinks emerges as the voice of reason...

Anyone watching the Conservatives tear themselves apart at the moment might be tempted to think that a political party could not possibly be any more divided. Well, the Tories may now have at last some stiff competition, as the Liberal Democrats face a remarkable split over their Brexit position. Since the coalition years, the Lib Dems have vowed to never sell out their principles again like they did over tuition fees, which led to their disastrous showing in the 2015 election. Which explains why they have since relentlessly focused on the one key issue that sets them apart from the other main parties in Westminster: backing Remain and supporting a second Brexit referendum.

Despite numerous attempts by the government to keep it hidden, the Attorney General's legal advice has finally been published. The move came after opposition MPs – to whom Mr S is very grateful – found ministers in contempt of Parliament for with-holding the information. Remember our 40 horrors of the deal? Well, Geoffrey Cox's hotly-anticipated legal advice has some nasty surprises of its own. As ever, Steerpike has compiled the top horrors from the latest document: 1. This is not the full legal advice on the May’s deal. It is a very selective piece of advice solely on the Protocol, art. 184 and 5. So no other issues are considered. Parliament asked for the full legal advice on the deal, not just part of the deal. Where is it? 2.

Nigel Farage has quit Ukip. The three-time leader of the party said he was walking away in protest at its courting of Tommy Robinson under Gerard Batten. Farage announced his departure in an article for the Telegraph. He said: 'With a heavy heart, and after all my years of devotion to the party, I am leaving Ukip today. There is a huge space for a Brexit party in British politics, but it won’t be filled by UKIP.

Theresa May is taking a break from defending her Brexit deal in Parliament – giving the chance to her Attorney General to have a go instead. But Geoffrey Cox's sales pitch to MPs on the Brexit backstop isn't going entirely to plan. Cox confirmed to Parliament that there is 'no unilateral right' for Britain – or the EU – to 'terminate' the arrangement. In response, a Tory MP yelled out: 'So it's a trap!'   Mr S thinks it is fair to say that, with only eight days until the big Parliamentary vote, MPs could do with a bit more persuading...