Star comment: May must get a grip on Tories

Her administration is giving a good impression of coming apart at the seams. She wanted unity, and she has ended up with a bunch of individualists in her Cabinet who go on their own little jollies and operate not just beyond the limits of their own authority, but without Mrs May’s authority either.

If Priti Patel holding meetings in Israel in which she is making up British foreign policy on the hoof is not a demonstration of how Mrs May is losing control, then what is?

In normal times the antics of some leading Tories would be politically embarrassing on the home front, but probably something that could be ridden out.

But these are not normal times. How does it all look to those in Brussels? They see a British Government seemingly at odds with itself and a Prime Minister whose authority is being undermined.

Oh what a relief it would be for Mrs May if the Brexit negotiations at least could go smoothly, and she could present Parliament with a wonderful deal which was good for Britain. According to that leak of a few weeks ago, she has been positively begging the EU to give her some crumbs from its table which she can dress up as a feast for MPs and the British people.

Alas, as Brussels can see that she is in a weak position, they can toy with her, in much the same way as they toyed with David Cameron on his pre-referendum tour of European cities to achieve the fundamental reform of the EU which he had promised the British people. With an insignificant sweetie or two they sent him on his way back home, and the rest is history.

Mrs May will not like the comparison, but it has the feel of the John Major days when he was struggling with his own party and to assert his authority.

She has a palpable sense of duty. After her General Election setback she told Tory MPs that she had got them into this mess, and she would dedicate herself to getting them out of it. There was an assumption on her part that they would do their bit to help her by not making it any more difficult than it needed to be.

On that score, they have let her down. Her party is drifting and argumentative, and needs her to give it new direction and purpose.

This is not just a bit of local difficulty – Britain’s interests could be damaged if Mrs May fails to get a grip.