IM Bill take part 900: It appears the IMB is crystallising support in the Tory Party for that most conservative of principles: that you stick to what you sign-up to! Thread-time... 1/

Aside from the usual suspects (Sir John Major) Brexiteer grandees Lords Lamont + Howard have had a go at Boris now. Even ERG Sith Bernard Jenkin is getting queasy about the whole thing. 2/

Interesting, as it shows there is a line that many Brexiteers will not cross - and that's the principle that UK honours agreements 3/

Is something important going on - the emergence of a disparate but possibly overwhelming coalition in Parliament that the NIP must be respected irrespective of Leave/Remain views? 4/

For the more moderate Brexiteers, the view may become in the immortal words of the Day to Today: 'We don't like it, but we'll have to go along with it'. Pacta Sunt Servanda and all that. 5/

I have tweeted regularly that sovereignty is the bottom line in these talks - it's essentially the Frost Doctrine. The state aid policy is good example of that. However, we all know that the NIP was a compromise that limits UK sovereignty. So it's time for a choice... 6/

This Bill by accident or by design forces every Tory and every other Parliamentarian to decide: what's more important to you? Freedom of UK action even if that means wrecking relations with EU and Congress? Or accepting the trade-offs inherent in the NIP and moving on? 7/

For the ultra ultras, nothing will ever be enough and disavowing previous treaties is fine. But they are still a fringe. So the question is: Is *Boris* (not D Cummings) an ultra ultra who really believes in this? 8/

Or is this a provocation, that will ultimately (by accident or design) get Parliament united behind the idea the unilateral clauses of the Bill should be chucked out while allowing Boris to say 'not me Guv'? 9/

Michael Gove said 'I cannot and will not withdraw the Bill'. Of course he won't because there's a ton of other stuff in it. But it could be amended up the wazoo by Parliament or even HMG itself. 10/

I can't begin to plot where things go from here, but Parliament - having been absent from Brexit - is about to be centre-stage once again. 11/Ends