Is government trying to silence Brexit debate?

A general view of the debating chamber in The House of Commons, during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

Cramming in the debate and votes on the peers’ amendments is shameful.

Theresa May’s shambolic government has ignored widely-accepted parliamentary protocols before – but this is a new low.

There are 15 amendments to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill and the government has signalled it is unhappy with some of them and will be seeking to overturn.

These are amendments that need to be properly debated. Both sides need to be given the time to thoughtfully build their cases.

As it is May and her whips office are hoping to railroad wobbly Tories into following the government line.

But is a trend emerging here? If May is trying to rush this through without allowing anyone time to discuss or consider the consequences, perhaps that is the wider Brexit plan as well?

Will she wait until the very last moment with months of stifled, stalemated negotiations behind her and then fling her demands into Michel Barnier’s lap before running away chuckling?

Not much of a plan… but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is the best she has managed come up with.