Two good articles on the state of play in the Brexit talks were published yesterday. Both are behind paywalls but you can read The Times HERE and The Telegraph HERE. The Times claim the EU have given us 24 hours to try and reach a settled position - but since we've already had 24 months, 24 years might be needed to bring the huge divisions in the Conservative party together. This is going to be an interesting week.
The BBC are reporting (HERE) that Mrs May is trying to "rally ministers behind her this morning at the start of a critical 48 hours for Brexit" with some reports claiming she is going to ask the EU to drop or relax the Irish backstop in some way to help her get cabinet and parliamentary approval. Well, as Sir Ivan Rogers might say - good luck with that one.
I watched her performance in The House yesterday afternoon and several members, including Vince Cable ventured to question what the statement was for since there had been no visible progress, although the PM claimed there had been. She was essentially assailed from all sides. Anna Soubry for the pro Europeans demanded a second vote, while the Eurosceptics challenged her over the lack of an end date for the backstop. The DUP are threatening to vote against the budget and the Labour party are opposed to anything she agrees, as we know. This is not to mention her own cabinet that she is trying to "rally behind her".
It's hard to see any sort of compromise deal getting support from her cabinet, her party, parliament or the people.
We are engaged in negotiations that are intended to set the direction of the nation for a generation or two and as far as I could see, not a single MP offered support and no one, not even the prime minister herself, seemed happy. There was no joy in the chamber at all. What have we come to?
It's hard to see any sort of compromise deal getting support from her cabinet, her party, parliament or the people.
We are engaged in negotiations that are intended to set the direction of the nation for a generation or two and as far as I could see, not a single MP offered support and no one, not even the prime minister herself, seemed happy. There was no joy in the chamber at all. What have we come to?
The crazy thing is that each minority seems to think they can force their ideal Brexit onto the majority and that it will somehow stick. This is wishful thinking all round, including by many remainers. Although the PM was absolutely firm about not having a second vote, I really do not - in the medium term - see any alternative.
The Telegraph article is by Peter Foster, their European editor, and often a good source of realistic information. He says:
"The Prime Minister, pointing at the febrile nature of her backbenches at home, can only plead for more latitude, and warn EU leaders not to repeat the mistake they made with David Cameron and give her a deal she cannot sell to her party or the country at large.
It may be too late for that. The UK is on the way out of the EU now, soon to become a competitive ‘third country’ to a Union that is wrestling with a populist menace, of which Brexit is deemed a part.
No-one, least of all Emmanuel Macron, the increasingly erratic and pompous French president, is in any mood to build off-ramps for the British. The German chancellor Angela Merkel, whose governing life-force is ebbing away at home, seems unable or unwilling to rein in her French counterpart.
So, Peter Foster at least doesn't see any room for compromise and points the finger at President Macron. And over at The Times, they too think France is culpable:
"Partly at the behest of France, Donald Tusk, the European Council president, described this week as a “moment of truth” when it would become clear whether a special summit in November was needed to finalise a Brexit deal. One option under discussion is for member states to call a summit in November devoted to discussing preparations for a no-deal UK exit in the hope it would give negotiators time to make amends.
"The European Commission may also step up preparations for a hard exit in March, including by the publication of a detailed contingency planning document. A joint statement by the UK’s Brexit department and Downing Street said that despite “real progress in a number of key areas”, there remained “unresolved issues” following talks between Mr Raab and Mr Barnier".
I think whatever happens Macron is going to get it in the neck for what is essentially self-harm on our part. The search for someone to blame has begun.
Finally, for a bit of light relief, John Crace at The Guardian (HERE) sees us moving from tragedy to farce and now to a pathetic third rate village pantomine and this just about sums up where we are. It's pathos all the way from now on.
Finally, for a bit of light relief, John Crace at The Guardian (HERE) sees us moving from tragedy to farce and now to a pathetic third rate village pantomine and this just about sums up where we are. It's pathos all the way from now on.
