SO they finally did it! Del Boy Davis and Boris Johnson jumped ship and left the already chaotic Theresa May government in complete disarray. What finally prompted them to resign? Was it the fact that all their Brexit lies and bluster had been mercilessly exposed? Or was it that they were outsmarted by the Maybot at Chequers where she more or less hog-tied them and faced them down, if we are to believe the gossip?

What is for sure is they intended to resign anyway but didn’t have the guts to do it at Chequers, preferring to sneak away having made another worthless promise of loyalty only to stab May in the back later. These people are spineless, self-serving opportunists with little or no value to their country or the constituents they represent, and it would be poetic justice if they were voted out come the next election, which may be sooner rather than later!

And while this was going on behind the scenes, Michael Gove was out in front of the cameras doing yet another volte face, and putting himself in a favourable position with May, but do not be fooled by this snake in the grass. He has form: look back at how he betrayed Johnson during the referendum. Make no mistake, he is not being altruistic with regard to Brexit; he is trying to set himself up as a contender for the party leader when May finally gets pushed out.

Johnson and Davis are also using this situation with the same end game in mind. They are out and can now wait patiently until the EU shoot this latest fudge proposal out of the skies. Then they will say “told you so” while initiating a coup against May.

No-one would believe you if you wrote a script with this plot! There are more Machiavellian characters here than you can shake a stick at, none of them can be trusted, none should be in a position in government, and hopefully none will be soon. It is extremely worrying that at this stage of the negotiations this should occur. Not that they were going anywhere anyway, but Michel Barnier must be shaking his head in utter disbelief at the machinations of this decrepit government! To top it all, May appoints Dominic Raab, another rabid Brexiteer, to replace Davis.

Here in Scotland, meanwhile, silence reigns (thankfully) from the Colonel’s corner apart from the wonderfully comical statement from Jackson Carlaw where he accuses the SNP of using Brexit to further their independence aspirations. This was said in all seriousness. The SNP Scottish Government have been the only ones in this whole chaotic mess who have put forward serious, workable proposals on how to get the best of a bad deal, but as usual the Scottish Conservatives simply fall back on their default settings and scream SNP Baad!! The irony of the situation completely escapes them!

Now is the time to go for our independence, as surely now the majority of Scots can see clearly we have to get out of this failing Union and make a go of it on our own ... it can never be any worse than what is coming!

Ade Hegney
Helensburgh

AFTER Davis and Johnson, at the time of writing there have been no more resignations from the Cabinet. The Chequers solidarity has evaporated. Yet, it is inconceivable that Liam Fox and probably Michael Gove can still be in the Cabinet given their Brexit position.

It was ironic to see Theresa May ploughing on in the Commons with the ground shifting literally underneath her feet. The two-fold arrangement for customs in the proposal is a non-starter, as any future government at Westminster could refuse to apply future EU standards and norms in goods. It is a non-starter for Brussels for that reason. It is a variant of the scenario Trump has adopted recently. He just tears up agreements unilaterally on a whim!

The existential position the Tory party finds itself in now is grave indeed. The two entrenched factions – Leavers and Remainers – can only slug it out and the loser will break away from the party.

Where would that leave the Tories north of the Tweed if May loses?! Which faction would it cling on to? And Labour? Its branch office will face a similar dilemma as Corbyn is a closet Leaver too.

It would be too much to expect the Anglo-branch parties in Scotland to uphold the democratic vote by Scots to remain. After all, they were firm supporters of the Vow to bring devo max to Holyrood and reneged!

And where does that leave David Mundell, who has not even been admitted to the Brexit inner circle? Scotland’s man in the Cabinet? Perhaps that post will just disappear!

Brussels must wonder if it would be better to put Westminster out of its misery and walk away!

John Edgar
Kilmaurs

THE series of resignations demonstrates that the disintegration of Cabinet responsibility and the fabric of government continues apace.

Seriously weakened by her failure to increase her majority at the General Election, the Prime Minister chosen her Brexit Cabinet Committee on the basis of ensuring her own survival, instead of those most likely to get the best deal for the UK from the EU.

Consequently, instead of containing a mix of persons chosen on their ability and suitability for their ministerial positions, it is made up of equal numbers of uncompromising, ambitious individuals with irreconcilable views on Brexit.

The fate of the UK and the Tory party has been interlocked since David Cameron announced the Brexit referendum in order to stave off his feared wholesale defection of Tories to Ukip.

Two of the principle protagonists have gone from the Cabinet, to be replaced by two clones in the Brexit Cabinet Committee; the infighting will continue, dragging the committee, the Cabinet, the government, the Tory party and the country down with it.

John Jamieson
South Queensferry