The Telegraph HERE is claiming that there are now no obstacles to reaching an agreement on a 21 month transition period next week. This comes, according to them, after "climbdowns" by the UK and is being hailed as a "significant win" for Mrs May. I really don't know what to make of it. I assume it means we are going to get, at the last minute, everything we could have had weeks ago by the simple expedient of conceding all the things we said we wouldn't.
This is the Brexit nether world we are living in where every defeat is a triumph and each surrender a great victory. I suppose this was all entirely predictable. The EU will throw us a few leaves to avoid embarrassing us and we will say we've got what we want. The Irish border issue will be fudged by saying the transition is only a political agreement and it won't be finalised legally until the Irish border is settled.
This will enable trade talks to start but will only succeed in kicking the Irish border can further down the road.
Hillary Benn's Brexit Select Committee is apparently to publish a report this morning concluding the country is nowhere near prepared for Brexit and suggesting we should ask the EU for an extension to the two year Article 50 period (HERE). This has divided the committee between the pragmatists and the idiots. Rees-Mogg and a few others are issuing their own minority report.
I take this seriously because (a) I am sure it's true anyway that we are unprepared and (b) the committee have spent months taking evidence from industry and trade organisations so have not come to the conclusion lightly. Watching these committees at work is fascinating. The Brexiteers simply refuse to accept any problems at all and just waive them away as an extension of project fear. Unfortunately, they are project fact - as we will soon learn.
