Steerpike

The EU flags, glitter berets and bad taste posters are out in full force today as the People's Vote march hits London. Among the big names expected to attend are Alastair Campbell (still trying to work out what makes this march different to the anti-Iraq one in terms of effectiveness) while Philip Lee – the one time junior minister – may join later. As for Hugh Grant, the pro-EU Notting Hill actor has unfortunately had to send his apologies. Grant is currently in France – but has promised to perform a solitary march from the French village he is holidaying in: https://twitter.com/HackedOffHugh/status/1053606027332120576 That will show them.

Oh dear. Today hundreds of thousands of 'People's Vote' campaigners are set to take to the streets as they campaign for a second referendum – or to use their words: a vote on the final deal. Only it's not got off to the best start. A Twitter account by the name of Chesterfield EU has been sharing pictures of their branch's journey to London – including a picture of the bus they are on. The vehicle is adorned with pro-EU slogans: https://twitter.com/ChesterfieldEU/status/1053559506750373888 But there's one in particular that caught Mr S's eye: 'UK now in so much trouble government appointed Suicide Minister! Don't top yourself... Demand a People's Vote.' https://twitter.com/wallaceme/status/1053590579068702720 Stay classy now.

It’s fair to say that it's been a tough couple of weeks for Theresa May. As the Brexit negotiations have stalled and her Chequers plan crumbles before her eyes, the PM could be forgiven for deciding that she's had her fill of leading the country and packing up her bags and going. No 10 certainly gave the impression that's she's had enough this morning. Parked squarely outside the Prime Minister's residence was this moving van: https://twitter.com/RichardBurdenMP/status/1052843824131780608 Then again, perhaps it was sent by her enemies hoping for her premature eviction?

With the Brexit negotiations hitting an impasse, Theresa May is under pressure from Brussels to make yet more concessions. Meanwhile, the 'People's Vote' campaign is keen to tell anyone who will listen that public opinion has changed and Remain is now the mood of the country. Only as far as Mr S can tell the vast bulk of Brexiteers are still... Brexiteers. Speaking on the Today programme this morning, Michael Caine explained why he is still a Brexiteer in a conversation on optimism: MC: I'm a Brexiteer myself. JW: Still are? MC: Oh yeah, certainly. And people say 'oh you'll be poor', you'll be this, you'll be that'. Well, I’d rather be a poor master of my fate than having someone I don't know making me rich by running it. Some food for thought...

John Bercow is under growing pressure to step down over the report into bullying in the Commons. But while the Speaker has been all too eager to take a stand in the past – saying, for instance, that Donald Trump was not welcome in Parliament – he isn't taking the hint when it comes to his own future. In the Commons just now, Maria Miller told Bercow to his face that it was time for him to go: 'The report is clear that there needs to be a complete change in leadership at the most senior level, including you, Mr Speaker, if we are...to press the reset button' Will Bercow finally take the hint? Mr S won't count on it... Update: James Duddridge has also turned on John Bercow.

Last week, Mr S pointed out that many (possibly all) of the celebrities who featured on a People’s Vote video pushing for a second Brexit referendum, had in fact not changed their minds’ about Brexit, but voted Remain all along. And it seems as though Mr Steerpike’s article has touched a nerve. In order to prove that they are not solely made up of malcontent Remainers, the People’s Vote released another video this morning, casting a light on those who had voted Leave in 2016 and have now switched sides.

With only weeks to go until a Brexit deal is put to parliament, the Conservative party is showing no signs of coming together over Theresa May’s Brexit plan. In fact, if tensions online are anything to go by, the party’s internal war between Remainers and Brexiteers may even be getting worse. The latest spat occurred last night, when arch-Remainer Anna Soubry called out Andrea Jenkyns, revealing that she has been blocked by her Brexiteer colleague on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1051463635422339072 Readers will be glad to know though that Soubry herself isn’t above putting her fingers in her ears and shouting. Back in 2016, she bragged about blocking supporters of her other colleague Andrea Leadsom: https://twitter.

Will Theresa May's government find a way out of the Brexit maze? As the Prime Minister's backstop plans are deemed a dead end by her colleagues, it looks as though Downing Street are fast running out of options. But could inspiration be found in Jeremy Hunt? The Foreign Secretary took to social media to boast that he and his fellow European foreign ministers had managed to navigate Chevening maze in the rain – making the Brexit negotiations seem comparatively straightforward: https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Hunt/status/1051512481435275265 Captions in the comments.