On Thursday afternoon, I attended a briefing in the Grimond committee room of the House of Commons, hosted by Dominic Grieve.

It had been called primarily to explain the thinking behind his amendment aimed at preventing a No Deal Brexit.

But I wanted to quiz him on the mysterious meeting – reported by The Mail on Sunday two weeks ago – held in John Bercow's private apartment just hours before the Speaker upended a century of parliamentary procedure and ruled in order his motion to snatch Brexit from the hands of the Government.

On Thursday afternoon, I attended a briefing in the Grimond committee room of the House of Commons, hosted by Dominic Grieve (pictured above). It had been called primarily to explain the thinking behind his amendment aimed at preventing a No Deal Brexit

Unfortunately, it was stipulated that the briefing was 'off the record', which prevents me from reporting what was said.

ADVERTISEMENT

But Grieve has not publicly deviated from his insistence that he did not seek to 'suborn' Bercow. Nor has he revealed what the two men talked about. And friends have confirmed that he was not a frequent visitor to the Speaker's apartment.

So this, in summary, is Grieve's position. He stood in the 2017 Election on a personal pledge to respect the referendum result. He then tabled a Commons amendment seeking to invert the relationship between executive and legislature.

He held a private meeting with the Speaker in his apartment, even though he apparently does not regularly have such meetings. He claims he did not attempt to influence the Speaker in favour of his amendment, but refuses to tell the press or public what they did discuss.

Hours after that meeting, against precedent and the advice of his clerks, the Speaker ruled in favour of Grieve's amendment to begin the process of postponing Brexit.

In the moments after the referendum result had been confirmed by the BBC, I went upstairs to my bedroom and looked out of the window. 'What's happening out there?' I asked. 'Where did the anger come from?' I understand now.

It comes in response to men like Dominic Grieve. People who willingly embrace the title 'Honourable Member' then deceive their constituents, agitate in direct opposition to their wishes and laugh in their faces while they're doing it. 'I did not try to suborn the Speaker'? He literally thinks we are all idiots.

I've worked in and around politics all my life. My mother was an MP. I've consistently attempted to fight the lazy caricature of British parliamentarians as venal, dishonest charlatans.

But you cannot fight for people who refuse to fight for themselves. What do MPs think they are doing? How have we got here?

Many MPs think that, by blocking all other avenues, voters will opt to stay, rather than risk No Deal. But they are dangerously deluded [File photo]

From a referendum in which 17.4 million people voted to leave the European Union, to the point where former Ministers of the Crown are sneaking around the Palace of Westminster, convening surreptitious conclaves to conceive ever more complex procedural devices to undermine Britain's departure.

Watching parliamentarians defending their actions over the past few days, I've been reminded of the infamous phrase from Richard Nixon.

In response to allegations they are mounting a coup against the British people, MPs reply: 'We can't be mounting a coup, we're democratically elected politicians.' Just as Nixon once claimed: 'When the President does it, that means it's not illegal.'

ADVERTISEMENT

On February 1, 2017, the House of Commons voted by 498 votes to 114 to trigger Article 50. Many MPs who did so had not personally supported Brexit.

Click here to resize this module

But each one stated they were obliged to honour the will of the people as expressed in the referendum. Four months later, the vast majority were returned to Parliament on additional manifesto pledges to respect the result.

Yet, this week, those same MPs are preparing to stick two fingers up to their voters and, without any fresh mandate, 'extend' Article 50.

Or, in reality, kick the verdict of the British people into the weeds. In one respect MPs are right. They are not mounting a coup. Initiating a coup involves courage.

It requires men and women of substance to take a stand. Instead they are missing in action. They have become parliamentary deserters.

Asked to vote for the Prime Minister's deal, they said No.

Given the opportunity to initiate a General Election to break the log-jam, they said No.

Presented with the chance to table amendments to hold a second referendum, they said No.

Asked to come up with any alternative deal that could command support, they said No.

In the moments after the referendum result had been confirmed by the BBC, I went upstairs to my bedroom and looked out of the window. 'What's happening out there?' I asked. 'Where did the anger come from?' I understand now [File photo]

But presented with the lifebelt – via Dominic Grieve and Yvette Cooper's amendment and bill – to delay Brexit for a period of up to nine months, they are preparing to grab it with both hands.

Lots of criticism has been directed at those on the margins of the Brexit debate. The No Deal puritans and the People's Vote refuseniks. But at least they have set out a clear position on their preferred way forward.

On Wednesday, I asked a senior colleague of Yvette Cooper what he thought of her plan. 'Yvette just wants to avoid taking a position,' he said. 'She doesn't want to facilitate Brexit, but she's too scared to be honest and admit it.'

When will the penny finally drop? When will Yvette Cooper (whose constituents voted 70 per cent Leave) and her colleagues realise this cowardice – this abject refusal to clearly and confidently honour the instructions they were given in the referendum – created the antipathy towards politicians that led to Brexit in the first place.

It's time to end this one way or another. I've written about the dangers of a No Deal Brexit. I believe they are real, not some Project Fear construct. But we cannot continue with this paralysis.

ADVERTISEMENT

There is nothing MPs will learn about Brexit in nine months, or nine weeks, or nine days that they do not know today. The time for more excuses, extensions and procedural sophistry is at an end.

Many MPs think that, by blocking all other avenues, voters will opt to stay, rather than risk No Deal. But they are dangerously deluded. If forced to choose between No Brexit or No Deal, most people will opt for No Deal. And I know this because I'm one of them.

MPs have had their chance. They've had their opportunity to set aside their petty differences and allegiances and vanities. And they have failed.

I was a committed Remainer. But this morning I'm now a hard-Brexiteer. I finally understand where the anger comes from.

Thank you for that, Dominic Grieve. Thank you for nothing.

Speculation about an early Election continues to swirl around Westminster, but I understand it may be a touch misplaced.

'It's not going to happen,' a Tory official tells me. 'We couldn't fight one even if we wanted to.

There's only one press officer in HQ who fought the last campaign and, as soon as anyone good appears, they get bundled off to government to help with Brexit.'

Breathe easy, Brenda.

'Dominoes' could tip May over the line

The cautious optimism that characterised the mood of Ministers before Christmas – and which was briefly shattered in the wake of Theresa May's resounding Commons defeat – is returning.

'There are signs the ERG and the EU are willing to compromise,' one told me. 'I think there's a chance we could actually get this through.'

I understand No 10 has identified a 'Brexit Formulae' as the key to getting the PM's deal through the Commons.

A May ally said: 'Everyone sees the raw numbers and says, 'There's no way she can do it' but it's more complex than that.

'The ERG rebels are basically taking their lead from the DUP. And a number of Labour MPs in Leave constituencies have been using the ERG as political cover. So for every DUP MP she can peel across, she gets five or six ERG MPs. In turn, those ERG MPs bring over one or two Labour MPs. There's a domino effect.'

Perhaps Mrs May could still tumble across the line to an unlikely victory.

Quotes of the week

'I prefer the tried and tested recipes… like coming together to seek out the common ground and never losing sight of the bigger picture.'

The Queen, in remarks interpreted by commentators as referring to the Brexit debate.

'Brexit is coo-coo and I don't understand it one bit.'

William Colledge, ten, sums up the mood of the nation in his letter-writing practice.

'When I turned 40 I was overweight, out of shape and thought I wasn't the sort of person who could run a marathon. Now, five years later, I also know my observational skills are spot-on.'

Comic Gary Delaney finds some upside to ageing.

‘Vegans make the best lovers.’

Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson makes her claim for one of the benefits of a plant-based diet.

'Wow, I hope he's got a lot of bathrooms for that price.'

Former US homelessness tsar Philip Mangano after a hedge fund boss bought a Manhattan penthouse for a record £183 million.

'Most distressing aspect was being identified as a Chelsea fan.'

Businessman Eric Salama tries to make light of being stabbed in a carjacking incident in West London.

'I was very focused on the mystical connotations of Mabel's beauty and grace. Not so good on the nappies and making sure she eats.'

Russell Brand admits his shortcomings as a father.

'If we wreck the natural world, in the end we wreck ourselves.'

Sir David Attenborough issues a stark warning at the World Economic Forum.

'I'm allergic to alcohol, so it's ironic being identified for playing a drug-addled alcoholic.'

ADVERTISEMENT

Richard E. Grant, who attributes all of his success to Withnail And I.