Labour's Emily curled her lip like a stale samosa: QUENTIN LETTS watches David Davis hail judges AND the press

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Some Labour MPs have reached the stage that when Speaker Bercow yesterday called David Davis to make a Statement and referred to his title as minister for 'Exiting the European Union', they laughed at the very notion.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry – London lawyer – curled her lip like a stale samosa. Through much of Mr Davis's speech she maintained a low murmur of heckles. Jeremy Corbyn was present, too, but the Opposition benches were far from full. Nick Clegg (Sheffield Hallam) was the only Lib Dem I saw. The Tory benches were better filled. Good Whipping by Mr Davis? Or a sign that many Labour MPs realise their party will be in danger if voters feel it has sided with Remainers and judges against the referendum result?

Cheers and jeers: David Davis in the House of Commons yesterday

'We believe in and value the independence of our judiciary,' said Mr Davis. Labour cheers, Tory silence. 'We also value the freedom of our Press.' Labour silence, a few Tory cheers. Beside Mr Davis, looking a little pink, was the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, who led the Government's unsuccessful arguments in the High Court. Mr Davis said that legal team had been 'brilliant'. A whistling silence in the House.

It is rumoured – incorrectly, we are told – that Stephen Phillips (the multi-spondoolicks QC who just quit as Tory MP for Sleaford) pooh-poohed Mr Wright's advocacy and called him a 'third-rate provincial conveyancer'. In my experience, third-rate provincial conveyancers (I have known some) are a great deal more likeable than top-guinea London barristers, even if they do make a Horlicks of your house purchase.

The Statement's hour or so basically amounted to this: Labour waxed indignant about Press mockery of judges; Tories wanted the Government to crack on with things and, perhaps, hold a Commons vote before the Supreme Court reviews the legal arguments next month. Mr Davis seemed to warm to that latter suggestion a little, particularly when answering questions from Sir Oliver Letwin (W Dorset) and Christopher Chope (Christchurch).

Labour's position, such as it is, was put by frontbencher Sir Keir Starmer, until recently director of public prosecutions.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry

Sir Keir has not yet conquered the Commons. One expects allegedly so ace a brief to be more honeyed, more droll, more debonair and impervious to rhubarb. He is none of these things. He may improve, I suppose, but the presence of smirking Miss Thornberry at his side left a hint that perhaps he is not yet entirely his own man.

Owen Paterson (Con, N Shropshire) shook an arm at the Remainers and said the voters had chosen to 'take back control'. A Labour woman: 'Is he real?' Frank Field (Lab, Birkenhead) repeated his line that 'woe betide' MPs if they dared to ignore the referendum result. Ian Paisley (DUP, N Antrim) said that his party supported the Government on this issue. 'The courtroom is not the place where the politics of Britain should be conducted,' said Mr Paisley.

Unexpectedly emollient noises came from Nicky Morgan (Loughborough), until recently seen as Queen of the Tory Remainers. It was 'time to heal the rift', she said – and she wanted an early vote on Article 50. Eurosceptic Julian Lewis (Con, New Forest E) was scoffed at when he suggested that had the referendum result gone the other way, Leave supporters would have accepted the result. Mr Lewis is usually shown greater respect by Labour.

Time and again we heard moans about the Press tweaking the judiciary's snout. Twitchy Bob Neill (Con, Bromley & Chislehurst) and Chuka Umunna (Lab, Streatham) were among these blowhards. I do not remember them complaining when the Mail (and, for that matter, David Davis) stood by former Labour Cabinet minister Peter Hain when he, outrageously, was threatened with prosecution for criticising a judge.

It was again left to Jacob Rees-Mogg (Con, N E Somerset) to assert that it was 'absolutely right that our Press is free, fearless and outspoken for there may be less happy times when judges need to be held more firmly to account'.