Four years ago today, we woke up to the news that the country had voted to leave the EU. At that time I wrote;
I voted to leave because I do not believe the EU is democratic. It is a project created by the politicians. It has become a self serving, corrupt, Byzantine bureaucracy that has become more important than the people it is supposed to serve.
I remain of that opinion. We just have to hope that Boris and his team can negotiate an acceptable trade deal before the end of the year.
The Brexit saga rumbles on. Parliament has been unable to reach a decision. Theresa May has resigned. The Tories are now fighting a leadership contest that won't be resolved until the end of the summer. Meanwhile, some MPs are trying to pass legislation that would make “no deal” illegal. And all the while, Corbyn is trying to engineer a general election.
The EU have agreed to a flexible extension, a flextension, until 31st October. My first thought was one of resignation, wondering when this whole sorry process will be concluded. On reflection though, perhaps 6 months is what is needed. As the old adage goes, divorce in haste, repent at your leisure. A 6 month pause will provide time for all concerned to take a deep breath, take stock of the situation, and decide how best to proceed.
Of course, 29th March was the day the country was supposed to be leaving the EU. That has been postponed, to allow Parliament time to try and resolve the omnishambles. Today they vote, for a third time, on Mrs May's deal. There is no more prospect of it passing now than on the first two occasions. Why bother with it, and what happens next?
Could you explain to me how a bad deal becomes a good deal simply because she agrees to step down?
Theresa May says if her Brexit deal is passed, she will then resign. Many Tory MPs may now decide to back the deal. Could you explain to me how a bad deal becomes a good deal simply because she agrees to step down?
Clearly this has more to do with Tory infighting than what is best for the country. I am heartily sick of the whole fucking bunch of them.
Parliament has wrested control of the Brexit process from the Prime Minister
Now what? Parliament has wrested control of the Brexit process from the Prime Minister. The MPs plan to debate the options, but will that get us any further? No one faction in the debate has a majority, so there will have to be compromise, which means we will in all likelihood remain hitched to the EU in one form or other.
One has to ask though, why this conversation didn't take place 2 years ago, why Mrs May didn't speak with the various stakeholders, and establish what could be agreed, before she even triggered Article 50.
And so it goes on. Theresa May has obtained an extension, the deadline for the withdrawal from the EU moved from 29th March to 22nd May. That is on the proviso MPs accept the deal on offer, the one that has already been rejected twice by Parliament.
If as seems likely the deal is rejected again, then the next deadline comes on the 12th April. By that date TM would have to come up with an alternative plan, and ask for a further extension. If the EU refuse that request then we leave without a deal.
Brexit. It goes on and on, with no end in sight. The governments withdrawal agreement was rejected by Parliament yesterday, and by quite a substantial majority. Today there will be another vote, this one to remove the option of “No Deal”, which will no doubt be passed.
And then? Whilst the WA has been rejected there is no agreed consensus on what would be acceptable. It doesn't matter what concessions she might obtain from the EU, any WA will be rejected. Hard Brexit, soft Brexit, somewhere in between, there are not enough MPs in any of the competing camps to carry the vote. Apart from one option of course; to abandon Brexit.
With the No Deal option removed, and no possibility of agreement, it is likely Mrs May will ask the EU for an extension to Article 50, pushing back the date on which the UK leaves. Maybe it will be extended by weeks, perhaps even months, but I take the view that the longer the extension, the softer Brexit will become. Perhaps it will even be abandoned altogether.
Perhaps that was the plan all along, the Deep State ensuring the will of the people is thwarted. That would of course assume the powers that be know what they are doing, which seems a little unlikely to me.
And are they really going to let a deal slip through their fingers for the sake of the backstop?
Parliament has instructed Theresa May to go back to the EU and reopen negotiations on the Irish Backstop. The EU mandarins have already said the negotiations cannot be reopened.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. If history tells us anything it's that the EU always say “it can't be done”, and then at the last minute decide it can. They might dress a deal up in all sorts of legalese, but essentially they will break their own rules if necessary.
And are they really going to let a deal slip through their fingers for the sake of the backstop? I have a suspicion they won't.