Theresa needs to toughen up

Number 10 Downing Street wasted no time in demonstrating coolness towards International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pictured, who accused the Brussels negotiators of “intransigence”, adding that the prospects of a no-deal Brexit were growing.

That is the sort of straight-talking language I believe the electorate are yearning to hear, as the EU team continue to try to wring every penny and pound of flesh out of Britain, finding fault with any proposal that the Prime Minister puts to them. Yet despite this, Downing Street say they still hope to leave the EU with a good deal. Since the softly-softly approach seems to have had little effect on Brussels, perhaps a little tub-thumping might work. I am sure, had Margaret Thatcher been involved, she would not have allowed our “opponents” to run rings around us.

It is now time for the Prime Minister to adopt Thatcher-style tactics to demonstrate to Brussels that we are determined to honour the wishes of the majority of the British voters at the referendum.

Beef it up, Prime Minister.

- The state of the railways in this country is now little short of a national disgrace.

In the south, for well over a year now, thousands of passengers have had to tolerate the grim effect of regular strike action as the dispute over the plan to remove guards on trains rages on. And in the north of England, ill-thought-out new timetables have led to hundreds of cancellations and delayed services. Meanwhile the cost of train tickets goes through the roof while passengers have to fight their way on to overcrowded carriages.

Amid all this, Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, remains aloof. People wonder why he does not get a grip of this shambles. If the Government can move in on the East Coast route, when Virgin and Stagecoach pulled out, surely Grayling could force his way into the shoddy running of the system elsewhere. Quite a few Tories were against privatising the railways under John Major’s administration. And I am sure these people would be happy to support Labour’s pledge to renationalise the railways if they assume power.