THERESA MAY’S honeymoon period could not last forever. Accordingly, the first week of 2017 has been one for the Prime Minister to forget.

First, Sir Ivan Rogers, Britain’s ambassador to the EU, quit his job, but not before he fired off an indignant letter seen as a thinly-veiled attack on Mrs May’s leadership. Sir Ivan is no Geoffrey Howe, but his departure – and the manner of his leaving – damaged the Government he is paid handsomely to represent.

Then came The Economist magazine’s front page which carried the headline: “Theresa Maybe – Britain’s indecisive premier”.

By the end of the week Mrs May was facing further flak for not doing enough to see off an impending NHS meltdown and over the weekend she was castigated for not laying out a clearer message on Brexit.

Mrs May’s attempt to provide some clarity on Brexit, interviewed on Sky television, has muddied the waters still further. She was not interested in keeping “bits of membership” of the EU, but promised to strike a bargain that delivered “the best possible deal for UK companies”.

Britain’s captains of industry are clear in their minds that this means retaining access to the single market, but Mrs May’s determination to wrest control of immigration back from Brussels means that cannot happen.

Nevertheless, Mrs May deserves a lot of credit. She has steadied the ship after a tumultuous summer and navigated treacherous EU waters with great skill.

But her Government is preoccupied with the Brexit negotiations and some issues, such as the NHS winter crisis, have been neglected. The country cannot grind to a halt while we extricate ourselves from the EU’s clutches.

Mrs May is fond of plain speaking, it is one of her best traits, so she will appreciate it when we say: “Get a grip.”