'Theresa May only does what she is told — without question'

Last night MPs voted 329 to 302 for a backbench motion for a series of "indicative votes" on alternative Brexit paths. 

The choice is no longer between leaving with no deal, not leaving at all or Mrs May's proposal. No deal will not happen unless the House agrees to it, the Prime Minister has promised, and so will never happen. I regret this. 


All sorts of things are possible: the Norway option; Norway Plus; a second referendum; a long delay which would mean a second referendum; or even her wretched deal finally passing.

Katie Perrior works in public relations. She worked at one time for Boris Johnson, was appointed Director of Communications at 10 Downing St by Theresa May and resigned when the snap general election was announced. She called yesterday in The Times for the Prime Minister to resign in return for her deal being passed by the House of Commons and said that 

I was was wrong when I said that history would be kind to Theresa May. Instead, future scholars may well identify the prime minister as a passenger at the time when the country needed a rally driver.

What is clear from the past few years is that the prime minister only does what she is told — without question — and is simply only as good as those around her. 

Katie Perrior tells a story, relayed to her by someone present at a meeting attended by Theresa May during the election campaign. The Prime Minister complained that she was not enjoying the campaign, it wasn’t the one she wanted to run and that she was told what to wear, where to stand and what to say.

But she didn’t just refuse to do it any more. She didn’t say she was taking charge and changing it. She just got up in the morning and did it all again.

This reminds me of Sir Jock Colville found Churchill sitting on his bed at 10 Downing Street on his last night in office, wearing his evening dress and the Garter, lost in a reverie and asking him

What are you thinking about Prime Minister?

imagining he was looking back over his long career. Instead, Churchill said

I don't think Anthony can do it.

Sir Anthony Eden was a better Prime Minister than Theresa May even though high on drugs. Lord North was too. Harold Wilson and A.J. Balfour certainly. The only comparably bad ones I know of are Ramsay Macdonald and perhaps Gordon Brown.