A WEEK ago I wrote that the worst of the storm appeared to have passed for the Prime Minister over the Chequers Brexit backlash.

At the time of that column Theresa May had seen the resignations of high profile cabinet members David Davis, and Boris Johnson.

After a hastily arranged reshuffle, things appeared to calm down, and the PM was determined to stick to her Brexit plan. However it was just a temporary reprieve as here we are just a few days later and to put it simply - it is all now a chaotic mess.

In the days since Eurosceptic MPs demanded changes to the wording and tabled amendments. With the PM fearing the whole thing could fall apart, she appeared to cave in.

Inevitably pro-EU MPs were then refusing to back the new amendments, and there was little unity on show at the House of Commons as members debated the Customs Bill. In the end it scrapped through twice, surviving by just three votes.

The PM and her team expected the toughest part of negotiations to be with the EU - but so far it has been with her split party.

With few MPs willing to compromise, we have reached that point where defeats could easily happen in Parliament, as the PM has no majority to fall back on.

And if a government can’t get things passed through Parliament, it is just a government in name - a zombie administration with no power - and that is where the calling of a general election could happen.

Meanwhile, the feeling I get is people are frustrated with the whole Brexit process, the bickering, the delays. The question of a second referendum has also been mentioned, and although there doesn’t seem an appetite for that - it can’t be ruled out now.

What angered me the most though is despite having this situation which obviously needs resolving, instead it emerged late on Monday the government was trying to rise for summer recess early.

MPs are meant to be having their holiday next Tuesday, so the fact the government even tabled a motion to finish five days early, making tomorrow their last day, is pathetic.

If that goes through it just confirms to me how MPs are so out of touch with the rest of the country.

And it just adds to the current, general Whitehall shambles.