DAVID “Del Boy” Davis’s massive climbdown in the Commons yesterday confirmed some very important points that should be noted, and the Tories should be hammered for them.

One: his so-called acceptance that MPs should get a vote on the outcome of the Brexit deal is all smoke and mirrors because they have the temerity to give a “take it or leave it” vote somewhere towards the end of proceedings.

This is wholly unacceptable and should be rejected by all right-minded MPs of all persuasions, as what May is trying to do is railroad the opposition by in essence giving in to their demands for a proper vote while making sure they only have one option.

What the opposition should be demanding is a vote with the caveat that if the deal is found wanting, which it surely will be, they should be sent back to the negotiationg table to strike a better deal.

The second point to note is that it is only down to sheer panic of defeat on May and co’s part that they have given way on this vote. It was not done through common sense or a realisation that a broad input to proceedings was required, but simply to try and appease the backbench rebels in her party and to save her own worthless hide!

They have set the parameters in such a way that it is quite conceivable that there will never be a vote, as the way things are going right now a breakdown in negotiations is becoming a reality. If this happens and we crash out of the EU then the whole damn lot of them should be accused of dereliction of duty and gross professional misconduct as there is no way there ever should be an outcome of that nature.

It simply highlights the fact that we have been shouting from the rooftops, that this government is conducting itself not for “the will of the people”, but for the will of the Brexit zealots who, although in a minority, have somehow managed to set the agenda for the entire negotiation, due mainly to May being completely powerless, and all her facile weasel words cannot disguise that fact.

She is a prisoner within her party, she is at the mercy of two of the most useless, self-centred, arrogant idiots disguised as politicians in the shape of Gove and Johnson. These two, along with the likes of Rees Mogg and certain other dunderheads, should be called out for what they are: divisive right-wing fanatics who have no real interest in the outcome of the most important and potentially damaging time in our history, but are concerned only with their own personal advancement.

Yet May dithers and flannels, refuses to give way and admit that it is her government and hers alone that is blocking progress in the negotiations, where a simple straight answer to Michel Barnier’s simple questions would shift things along.

She fiddles while Rome burns, apparently clueless and powerless to resolve this fiasco. Everybody with real insight is screaming at her to call this off and retract Article 50, but she still refuses to listen and see the obvious, preferring to go down with the ship rather than confront the maniacs who are driving us off the cliff’s edge.

Nicola Sturgeon’s meeting with May should be the moment where she tells her unequivocally that the Scottish people and government will not accept this suicide pact, and she should tell her that the Scottish Parliament will not recommend approval under these circumstances.

Nicola should also tell May that unless we get due and proper involvement, she will press for indyref2 in the near future.

Now is your hour Nicola, don’t let the Scottish people down!
Ade Hegney
Helensburgh