Over the course of the Brexit debate, there’s been lots of inflammatory rhetoric.
“Surrender”, “traitors” and “enemies of the people” – we’ve really heard it all.
Now, though, things have reportedly been taken to a new level by a group of Tory MPs.
Brexiteers from the European Research Group – the Eurosceptic wing of the Tory Party – have reportedly drawn up a new law that would punish any British citizen who undermines government negotiations with jail time.
The Mail on Sunday reports the backbench push comes in the wake of angry claims by Boris Johnson's No 10 officials that anti-Brexit members of parliament had worked with EU countries to wreck the UK's exit negotiations.
Shot, chaser https://t.co/oCmJYpd3eI— James Felton (@James Felton) 1571640401
As a Tory MP I am pushing for us to jail [squints] my colleague— James Felton (@James Felton) 1571640617
Of course, though, people were a bit puzzled by the plans online.
Not least because Brexiteers have certainly undermined the UK’s negotiating strategies lots of times over the last couple of years.
Remember when Daniel Kawczynski wrote a letter to the Polish government to ask them to veto an extension request made by then-prime minister Theresa May?
Daniel Kawczynski(ERG) has been holding talks with senior Polish officials to try and get them to veto any #brexit… https://t.co/76aPfCBMfI— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺) 1571650199
Then there was that time that Priti Patel was forced to resign for conducting secret meetings with the Israeli government which contradicted official government foreign policy.
@JimMFelton *Womp womp* https://t.co/hk5heMzrKu— Tom Kerin (@Tom Kerin) 1571641487
Oh, and the umpteen times Boris Johnson, from the back benches, made public statements which undermined his predecessor’s negotiating positions.
@JimMFelton https://t.co/jSpkXiBYjf— Shaggy (@Shaggy) 1571644530
On Twitter, people weren't convinced by the plans.
@JimMFelton Johnson loves to proclaim how free this country is..... While at the same time allegedly wanting to jai… https://t.co/R2iw2kkhHS— Jess (@Jess) 1571640690
@JimMFelton @Sonnet_Lumiere What about the whole cabinet who undermine the people’s interests at home— Dr Martin Murphy (@Dr Martin Murphy) 1571652482
@JimMFelton Yeah, but there would surely be a provision for allowing MPs to do it. Otherwise we'd cycle through the… https://t.co/jdPa6wosIM— Oldham-Made (@Oldham-Made) 1571640786
@JimMFelton *colleagues — don’t for get Priti https://t.co/7j743ElLoT— Dan Salmon (@Dan Salmon) 1571641038
@JimMFelton Wait until they find out Donald Trump is interfering in British affairs. They’re going to be absolutely… https://t.co/3Y0vLxWyXO— Michael but new. (@Michael but new.) 1571640910
As ever, it's back to the drawing board.