Shropshire Star comment: UKIP may be in luck with botch

Certainly, there are many disaffected voters on all sides of the debate who have been dismayed by the Government’s handling of negotiations as it endeavours to strike a deal with 27 other European nations.

Mr Gill has a point when he talks of the nation’s position in relation to Brexit.

Mrs May, for all of her good intentions, seems unable to settle on a strategy as she attempts to deliver an outcome that will see Britain thrive in the post-Brexit world.

Increasingly, Britain is portrayed as a country holding out a begging bowl, hoping for crumbs from the EU’s table.

For too long in the negotiations, Britain has been on the back foot. At war with itself, unable to come to terms with its impending departure from the EU; it has been easy for Europe to pick us off. The country stands at a crossroads. We need our politicians to stand up for our interests, to show the necessary verve and skill in negotiations.

Who those politicians are, however, is less clear. Some believe Theresa May, now that she has taken charge of the negotiations, will still deliver the right deal. Others suggest the Conservatives should look elsewhere.

Mr Gill, who has first-hand experience of divisiveness on Europe among Tories, is of the opinion the party has fluffed its lines when it comes to the negotiations and suggests a resurgence in UKIP support is on the way.

And yet, despite the divisions within the Conservative Party, a succession of ill-equipped leaders, a series of scandals and seemingly never-ending political infighting have made UKIP a party synonymous with disorganisation and discord.

Whether UKIP can regain the credibility and success it enjoyed around the time of the Referendum is an altogether bigger question.

In the meantime, the negotiations continue with Mrs May’s official spokesman saying yesterday: “The Prime Minister is fully committed to delivering on the will of the British people.”

Whether she will be able to deliver on those re-assuring words remains to be seen.