On the Today programme yesterday morning just before eight o'clock (1:50:00 in HERE) there was an interview with Alex Barker and Catherine Nicholson, Europe editors of the FT and France 24 respectively, about the attitude in Europe at the moment to Brexit and in particular to the suggestion that the ball is now in the EU court to revise the Withdrawal Agreement. It is well worth listening to.
You will note they both say this is not the view of European countries or leaders all of whom think the ball is firmly in our court after May's humiliation on Tuesday. Brexit is a UK problem and it is up to the British government to come up with solutions not the EU. They do not want to be seen to interfere in UK politics. Ms Nicholson quoted Emmanuel Macron after the vote to decisively reject Theresa May's deal, when he apparently said (I am quoting her quoting him):
"[UK] voters were manipulated and lied to and good luck to the representatives of a nation who now have to implement a thing that doesn't exist".
In the WA and the political declaration, the EU are holding up a map to show us where our red lines to 'take back control of our laws, borders and money' are actually directing us. The destination is becoming clearer by the day and it is not a pretty sight.
May and her government began the journey thinking they held all the cards (Gove), that European industries would apply pressure to their governments (Davis) and we would get good access to their market (Redwood). All of this has proved to be nonsense. We are now having to go back to square one and decide whether or not we want to keep our red lines and give up on our hopes of maintaining trade at current levels or decide what unpleasant and bitter compromises we are prepared to make.
Some painful decisions await. Nobody is going to be happy but the Conservative party will be the unhappiest of all.
The Tories are 100% responsible for Brexit. Their Eurosceptic wing started it, spawned UKIP and chased their policies to the right as a way of blocking them at the ballot box. They designed Brexit as a ridiculous Rowland Emmet contraption in Heath-Robinson style and marketed it. They made the exaggerated claims and sold the half-truths and the lies. They picked the team and the leader to negotiate the 'glorious' future. They willed the resources and the means. They pushed it for all they were worth. They own it.
And they will never be able to forget it.
