The prime minister had a hunted look in the midnight press conference in Brussels last night, as well she might. She has totally lost control of events and the latest to take over the Brexit process were the leaders of the EU27. She got an extension to the Article 50 period but not quite the one she asked for. British MPs got a half hearted apology - of sorts - for her speech in Downing Street on Wednesday. She said she had been 'frustrated' - tell us about it! As for a recognition that her deal is finished, not a peep.
I think it is her absolute inability to face facts that frustrates many. On the way in to the summit she spoke to reporters and had the soundbites ready - the ones we can all recite off pat, we have heard them so many times, "The British people voted in 2016 to leave the EU and we have to deliver....." , etc, etc.
Theresa May is embarrassing the nation. She is embarrassing herself as well but I don't care about that. How she had the front to meet the leaders of the EU 27 in Brussels yesterday I really do not know. Personally, if I was her I would rather rip my own head off than walk in to that meeting. There were no signs of us taking back control. They discussed what they were prepared to offer us by way of an extension to Article 50 and we had to accept whatever it was.
More than that, all the discussions about the extension between the EU 27 leaders took place while Theresa May waited outside like a contestant from The Apprentice about to be fired - as she probably will be shortly after the most disastrous premiership in modern times.
It took a German reporter to ask if she thought she was in any way responsible for the fiasco and as you might expect, she didn't answer it - but it's clear she doesn't, although she did look chastened - not to say exhausted, nervous and cornered.
Alberto Nardelli, European correspondent at Buzzfeed summed her up in this tweet:
UK PM May presented her views to EU27 leaders at #EUCO. I am told she was “evasive” and “tightlipped”. The prime minister was repeatedly asked by several leaders what she would do if MPs vote the deal down. May didn’t answer the question.— Alberto Nardelli (@AlbertoNardelli) March 21, 2019
Anyway, attention now turns to next week. May got an extension to May 22nd provided MP's vote to support her deal. But since she took a whole load of verbal dynamite to what little support she had in the House with her Downing Street rant, we can forget May 22nd as a significant date. Her deal is the camel and the House is the eye of a needle. It will never pass through. Some Tory MPs who supported it at MV2 in order to ensure we left on March 29th, are now suggesting they might even vote against it at MV3. I don't know where these people have been for the last three months.
In Brussels last night, the PM said (HERE) that MPs now have a 'clear choice' - this is the choice they rejected by record votes twice - so when at MV3 it is voted down yet again, the EU have given us until April 12th to find a way out of the crisis, decide what we're going to do and to declare if we are going to take part in European parliament elections. If not, we are out on that day. I suspect we will decide to take part and then request a longer delay while we sort ourselves out into something resembling semi-coherence.
The temperature in Westminster is going to rise even further next week. MPs will have to approve a Statutory Instrument to change 'exit day' - presumably to April 12th since this is the only certain date. I look forward to that debate.
The backdrop to it all will be Saturday's Put it to the People march in London. I hope we can break the 700,000 figure from last year. Also the joint letter (HERE) from the CBI and the TUC calling on the PM to 'change her approach' to avoid the 'national emergency' of a no-deal Brexit.
Also the petition to revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU is rising at a tremendous rate. It had reached 2.6 million (HERE) just now. If you haven't already signed it you can do so at the link. I notice 1,514 people in Selby & Ainsty have signed so far so we have a lot anti-Brexit supporters in the area.
This article in The Guardian (HERE) sums up the view of Europeans about what's happening in this country. I recommend you read it. There are some excruciatingly accurate comments, this one for example:
"'Britain’s reputation is, there’s no denying it, much diminished,' judged Pascal Lamy, one of France’s most senior public officials, a former presidential adviser, European commissioner and World Trade Organization head.
"Some British politicians are 'on another planet', Lamy said, incapable of seeing that Brexit is the infinitely complex diplomatic and legal equivalent of 'trying to take the eggs out of an omelette. Even today, they spout the most monstrous nonsense. Many have still not landed in a place one could call reality. The cognitive dissonance is … remarkable.'”
One day some of those British politicians will have a lot of explaining to do.
Finally, you have to shake your head at this report (HERE) about pro-Brexit car and lorry drivers planning a 3 mph 'go slow' on the M20 in protest at not leaving the EU on March 29th. I assume they would prefer to leave on that day without a deal - in which case everybody on the M20 would think themselves lucky to reach 3 mph. Madness.
When you look at the appalling ignorance of our present MPs I used to wonder who actually voted for them. We are now beginning to see the truth of the old adage that the people get the government they deserve.
