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Rampant Brexiteer Mark Francois stood behind a framed photo Margaret Thatcher and read out a Tennyson poem this morning at a pro-Brexit event.

And if that isn't the most Tory thing you've seen all day, there's a bunch of other eyebrow-raising things that happened at today's meeting of hard-Brexit think-tank the Bruges Group.

As Theresa May jets off for a whistle-stop tour of Europe, her harshest critics gathered in Westminster to curse her Brexit deal and call for her to be ousted.

A string of Tory backbenchers lined up to attack Mrs May, often with war metaphors.

And they gave dire warnings about an impending General Election.

Here's the most Tory things that happened at today's meeting of the Bruges Group.

Mark Francois attacked Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May

(Image: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX)

The European Research Group's resident war poet opened by recounting his political life story at length.

He went on to launch attacks on Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins, Jeremy Corbyn and, of course, the Prime Minister.

He said: "The truth is her authority is waning by the day. There is little point in continuing to kick the can down the road. The Prime Minister is already a lame duck.

"Tory MPs are so angry that letters are flowing in to Graham Brady.

"They are asking for a formal indicative vote that I believe she would surely lose.

"Her days are numbered and she will likely be replaced by a Brexiteer."

And then he read out an entire poem

Standing behind a podium adorned with a framed photograph of his idol, Margaret Thatcher, Mr Francois decided to treat us to some classic poetry.

He said: "I say to the European Council Brexit has gone on long enough. You will be facing perfidious Albion on speed. It would be better for us to face our separate futures with mutual respect."

Appearing close to tears, he said: "It reminds me of the words from Tennyson’s poem Ulysses.

"'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

"Push off, and sitting well in order smite

"The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

"To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die.

"It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

"It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

"And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

"Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

"We are not now that strength which in old days

"Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

"One equal temper of heroic hearts,

"Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Andrew Bridgen warned an election was just around the corner

(Image: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX)

Fellow Tory Brexiteer Andrew Bridgen warned an election was looming - and called for Theresa May to be replaced with a Brexiteer.

He said: “We are headed for a general election.

“We need to remove Theresa May as soon as possible.

“Then we need a leader who believes in Brexit. Then, probably, we will lose our majority as members leave the parliamentary party.

“That is when we will have a election”

Bridgen said the Conservatives had to stand “for the 52%” or the ground will be taken up by others.

Then compared the government to a microwave

Andrew Bridgen said the UK’s EU membership had turned the country from a Michelin-starred restaurant to one reliant on microwave meals.

He said: “We used to create these fantastic dishes from scratch and over the years this has been corrupted and we have been de-skilled.

“Now we accept our laws pre-packed from Brussels, ready to go in the microwave.

“We’ve become a chicken ding Parliament with chicken ding politicians.”

Anne Marie Morris said she might not vote Tory in the EU elections

Ms Morris said she won't be campaigning in the elections, if Britain is forced to take part in them.

And asked if she would consider voting for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, the Newton Abbott MP said: “I will need to see who is standing in my area.

“I would like to be voting for people of a Brexiteer persuasion.”

Asked about a GE she said: “I think we will have one this year. But I won’t vote with Corbyn in a confidence motion.

“I don’t think he wants an election.”

A gentleman in a fedora with a ponytail asked a question in Chinese

(Image: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX)

Translated into English, his question was "Where are all the heroes strong enough to break us free from the shackles of a tyrannical European Union?"

"We can remove those shackles," Anne Marie Morris said, "there is enough of us".