The former foreign secretary accused parliamentarians of being a “miserable lot” and questioned why MPs – especially Anna Soubry – feel they have the right to curtail Brexit despite the

democratic referendum over two years ago. Lord Owen singled out Conservative Remainer Ms Soubry, who has been at the heart of the rebellion from inside the Prime Minister’s own party,

branding her a “sourpuss”. He suggested the only way for Mrs May to deal the band of rebel Tory MPs is to laugh at their meagre attempts to thwart Brexit. “I think Parliament has let down

the country,” Lord Owen said. “Parliamentarians are a miserable lot, frankly. I think they were gripped by a religion and they can't stop believing in it. “And, they have really managed

it's gone out of their hands. But they can't accept it. That's been the most depressing thing,” he told the Telegraph. “I believe that there are Tories, and they are in

substantial numbers, who understand how dangerous it will be not to leave the EU. “At the end of the day, this is what matters: are they prepared to put their country before their party? “As

for Sourpuss. What's her name, ‘Sowerbry’? Soubry? That's it. Sourpuss – I must not say this, but that's how I deal with it. “My family used to call Roy Jenkins Le Roi Jean

Quinze. That's how you deal with impossible people like Madame Sourpuss by laughing at them." Lord Owen has been writing to the Prime Minister hoping to convince her of adopting a

reserve strategy after EU negotiator Michel Barnier all but destroyed her controversial White Paper. He believes promising to remain a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) until at

least March 31, 2021, will help Britain with its orderly withdrawal from the EU. He said: “I'm not talking about what I want. Now it's no longer a matter of personal preference,

it's that Brexit is this mess, so we've got to sort this damned thing out and fast.” The 80-year-old believes if the Prime Minister was being honest with the British public, she

would already tell you where she is planning on caving because the plan born out of the Chequers meeting is nothing more than a “wish list”. On the White Paper, he said: “It's a wish

list, it's not a negotiating position. “A lot of sensible civil servants acquiesced to Chequers because they know it's not going to last. They know it's a wish list and Mrs

May knows it too. She's not stupid. If she were here talking honestly, she would tell you exactly where she's going to move and give in to Barnier. “It's been pretty well

flagged up, Philip Hammond is already talking about special rights for immigrants from the EU. “I'm sorry, but where she's going is not acceptable. If she stopped now, I think most

people could just about live with it, but it won't stop there."