Westminstenders: Dear Santa for Christmas I'd like...

[RedToothBrush]

The ERG to be the grinch that stole the Tory Party Christmas who ultimately get what they deserve.

To remain in the EU

Donald Trump's impeachment

For politics to be boring again

A trex toy for my son

GD12 I was just coming to post that Twitter thread!

we may soon have to sit & watch while a tiny group of people, over whom we have no democratic control, set the course of Brexit

Leavers going on about sovereignty, control, democracy - and what's happening now is anything but

I'm old. Been through this before with Thatcher and Major. Actually remember sitting in a supermarket car park listen to the Major stuff in my car.

Yes absolutely resign as an MP. He was a driving force leading Cameron to call the ref. He's agitated and agitated openly trying to get May to resign. He isn't interested in anything other than this one obsessive issue. So yes he's had his day.

There are even worse, mind you. I think when cabinet members are disgraced like Boris ever since his Darius Guppy support for dealing out GBH, Priti Patel's deceits about Israel meetings with Netanyahu, Liam Fox's lack of judgement about the ' charity' he set up and giving his mate Werrity access to high profile government meetings. These statesmen and women should not only resign from the cabinet, they should step down as MPs and not stand again. We need higher standards than in other jobs, not lower standards?

At my older SDDs school years ago there was the classic teacher relationship with a 17 year old. That teacher betrayed his role, resigned and has never taught again since. He was last seen to be driving an Uber.

In normal jobs we reap the consequences of failure or deceit. Yet MPs at worst lie low for a while then return. If they blot their copybook with dishonesty and they shouldn't be allowed to return to politics, let alone being elevated to cabinet like Johnson and Fox were.

Sorry that was in response to Louise.

Watching PMQs. God, I hate it when TMay deepens her voice to channel Thatcher.

Jezza is looking like a political giant next to her.

Perhaps the next time the Tories claim to be the sensible, stable, grown up, reliable party who can be depended on and who won't act rashly or take unnecessary risks, people will remember this and vote accordingly.

Sam Coates Times @samcoatestimes
Heidi Allen: I will give up the Tory whip if Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees Mogg win a leadership contest

What about another ERG candidate?

Bold words.

I've never heard such an angry parliament and too right!

I just want to swear at Theresa an awful lot. Answer the fucking questions.

Meanwhile, just done a 150 point YouGov survey around .... topical events.

Rather worryingly it was asking about whether the Supreme Court should be abolished if it starts being a nuisance.

Laura Kuenssberg @bbclaurak
Our @BBCNews tally says 158 Tory MPs have now said they will be backing the PM tonight - remember it’s secret ballot but that’s enough for her to win

But but but .... one worried minister told me ‘I think it will be closer than everyone thinks’ - she’ll try and go on even if she wins by one but, but, but, is it feasible politically

@lonelyplanetmum ah well fair enough if that's your take. I agree that we should expect high standards of MPs. Don't agree that you should expect them to resign their seats purely for political campaigning tho, agree with it or not.

In the case of impropriety (i.e. proven misconduct in a public office), fraud or dishonesty, agree absolutely they should be gone from their jobs.

Jessica elgot@jessicaelgot
I’ve been watching and Julian Smith has not looked up from his phone for the entire length of PMQs. Texting like mad, his fingers might fall off.

The Supreme Court is a Tony Blair legacy. It has only been in existence since 2009. It is not irrefutably clear that it is a better mechanism for holding the constitutional balance than the previous HoL set up - just saying

Evan Davis @evanhd
Huge moment for Brexit.. if @theresa_may wins tonight, she gets a year in which she only has to worry about votes in parliament, and no longer worry about her own party. The implication is that she logically pivots to parliament's view which is clearly towards a softer Brexit.

I wish but no... Not necessarily.

Laura Kuenssberg @bbclaurak
1. Chatter this morning on remain tending sides - if she wins, this might be moment to move to softer Brexit with Parliament, not angry bits of her party on board

2. On ERG side, view emerging that if she wins, tories stumble into an election in Jan because she simply won’t get support for deal and no other way out

All the intrigue and backstabbing is completely illustrating why the EU insisted on the backstop.

Why would Labour support ANY Tory soft Brexit when they could call a GE. Would be political suicide - blame for Brexit plus blame for helping not to do it properly.

Evan needs a wee think.

Sam Coates Times @samcoatestimes
The BBC numbers suggest Theresa May has won tonight’s vote already ...

.... IF IF IF Tory MPs do privately what they are saying publicly

Tory MPs are well known for being honest of course. Especially if there is a possibility of a leadership contest

Oh god. Reading the updates from PMQ on the Guardian website makes me stabby. All TM is doing is blaming Labour and saying a Labour government would be the worst thing ever. Worse than this pile o' shite? Oh come on.

She may be trying to appeal to her MPs and party members who do genuinely believe that Labour=Armageddon, but it's all such childish schoolyard stuff that it's hard to understand how she's winning any points here with anyone.

Also, banging on about how Labour wants to remain is strange, when Labour has sat firmly on the fence and vast portions of the electorate believe Corbyn to be a Leaver. Just because you say it's so doesn't mean it is...

Has Corbyn just woken up ? 😂
Theresa may is looking really smug ?

{At my older SDDs school years ago there was the classic teacher relationship with a 17 year old. That teacher betrayed his role, resigned and has never taught again since.}
When I was at school, the deputy head had an affair with another teacher and they were dismissed. How standards have fallen.

Also she said that they did have a meaningful vote in 2016 and then there will be one in match when we leave the EU so what does that mean
She is not allowing the vote until the day we leave ??

Sam Coates Times @samcoatestimes
For context, one member of the government told me this morning they knew of 5 senior ministers publicly backing her and planning to knife her in private