Brexit update

Last week the Bill to allow the PM to trigger Article 50 was returned by the House of Lords with two amendments added. And this week it is up to the Commons whether to accept these or teturn the bill unaltered. A lot of it depends on whether Labour begins to act like an opposition and backs the amendments, or Corbyn imposes a three line whip.

Whatever the outcome, noises and statements from the Government hellbent on trying to impose the hardest Brexit possible, and with the probable outcome of crashing out of the EU without a deal in place, falling onto WTO frameworks tariffs. Something no one voted for, nor suggested. But using the line, "The People's Will", this will be a massive power grab by the government, nodded though by the Commons frightened of standing up for democracy or sovereignty and so will enfeeble themselves and make the country so much poorer as a result.

THere is the possibility it will all be reversible, and after staring into the abyss, we will pull back realising the madness of it all, but with Fleet Street baying for Brexit, harder and faster, anything is possible and probable. DOn't say you were not warned. When it all goes pearshape, and people want to know who to blame, it will those fearless Brexiteers who got what they wanted though had no plan no no idea what to do. And pretty much still don't, think they can threaten the EU with leaving if we don't get what we want. And Europe says, go on then....

In the end, what may save us from the worst is the British constitution; yes, there is one, and what our laws say and who in the executive and do what and when. I, alongside many other crowdfunders, paid good money to ensure that the rule of law was followed in ensuring that a law needed to be passed before article 50 was triggered, that the opposition decided to abdicate its duty in scrutinising what the Government was planning to do, make Corbyn and Watson as guilty as May and her team of Brexiteers.

There is still the small matter of the £60 billion divorce settlement that must be agreed before anything else can be talked about, let alone agreed. There is yet much to play for, but time is running out, and by the time I write about Brexit again, May will have triggered Article 50, and the clock will have begun to tick.