Steerpike

Here we go. This week the Freemasons have come under increased scrutiny after the Grauniad ran a front page reported that two Freemasons' lodges are operating at Westminster – which it said were for MPs and political journalists. This had led to a series of hit-pieces and criticism of the secretive society. Now the Freemasons are fighting back. The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has placed full-page advertisements in several national newspapers – including the Times, as below – calling for an end to the 'discrimination' against their members. They insist that the organisation welcomes individuals from all walks of life but that members are 'undeservedly stigmatised'. One for Philip Davies to raise at the Women and Equalities select committee?

Oh dear. It's crunch day for Theresa May as her Brexit war cabinet gathers for the first of two meetings to discuss the type of trade relationship the UK ought to seek with the EU post-Brexit. With tensions running high in the party and Brexiteers nervous that Theresa May could be about to agree to some form of customs union (despite repeated denials by No 10). Before they even get to that, the Prime Minister must deal with the small matter of the terms of the transition period. With MPs already nervous about agreeing to a period where the UK is a rule-taker rather than a rule-maker, Greg Hands was sent on the Daily Politics in a bid to soothe tensions. Only things didn't go quite to plan.

After Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo won I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, the Tories have been divided on how best to utilise their celebrity supporter. A proud Conservative, Toff's offer to share her million Instagram followers with the party was snubbed by CCHQ over concerns she was ‘too posh to win over Labour supporters’. Since then, the Made in Chelsea cast member has complained that MPs spun a trip she made to Parliament for TV work to make it look as though she had come for a meeting. Happily, Conservative MPs will soon have a chance to make amends with the reality star.

No one puts the Moggster in a corner. He was due to speak to the UWE Bristol Politics and International Relations Society. A bunch of hooded protesters entered the room, and started to shout. There are about a dozen of them, shouting about Brexit, some with their faces covered. The Moggster, rather than taking cover, walks towards the mob. 1) Masked thugs arrive to disrupt @Jacob_Rees_Mogg at an event in the University of the West of England in Bristol. pic.twitter.com/6Z0eCUBRGY — Peter Thompson (@P_G_Thompson) February 2, 2018 Then the scuffle @BBCNews a huge amount of (physical) violence at a Jacob Rees Mogg speech in UWE Bristol pic.twitter.com/bfaOqAVwc6 — Chloe (@chloekayex) February 2, 2018 And the stills.

Julian Smith has his work cut out as Chief Whip. As well as trying to stop Tory MPs firing off letters to 1922 Committee chairman Graham Brady, Smith must try and keep both Tory Remainers and Tory Brexiteers in line. In a bid to do this, Smith met with the European Research Group – the all-powerful Brexit wing of the Conservative party – this week to try and ease concerns that the government is about to water down the version of Brexit it is seeking. Now Jacob Rees-Mogg is chair of the ERG, the group is seen to have greater potential for trouble. So, what was his strategy? Serving cake. A Victoria sponge cake was brought out to keep the rebels at bay – reports that the cake was homemade are yet to be confirmed or denied.

Oh dear. Theresa May's bad week just got worse. On top of Tory MPs taking to social media, the airwaves and the papers to criticise her, it now seems that Conservative peers are going public with their grievances. In the new issue of Tatler magazine, Baroness Trumpington – who retired from the Lords last year – offers a rather frank assessment of the Prime Minister. When asked about May, the 95-year-old Lords stalwart and former land girl offers a trade mark V-sign to the interviewer: 'As I ask a question about Theresa May, Lady Trumpington flicks her fingers at me from across the table in her Chelsea care home, making the V-sign. She does it again, as if to make sure I’ve got the message.