The weekend Brexit

Sorry for another Brexit blog, but you, know, you can skip it.

Last Friday the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, said that there was common consensus in Cabinet over the plan for a three year transition period come March 2019, meaning full Brexit would be achieved by March 20122. Nice that the Government had a plan, even if what the goals even for the transition would be, but still. Be thankful.

Only time would tell, and with the weekend, and Sunday in particular, when the papers have interviews, splashes and exclusives, and there are the political chat shows like Andy Marr Show, or the one on ITV with Robert Peston, would this unified front stand up to Sunday?

THe disgraced former Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, gave an interview to the Sunday Times stating he was unaware of any such agreement in cabinet. Maybe it was because the interview was given on Monday said The Times? Not so said Fox later in the day, that was the case. And a "spokesman" for Boris Johnson said the same. That both the Secretary for International Trade and the Foreign Secretary are not being kept in the loop regarding Brexit, and discussions and agreements is a startling worry, that even in Cabinet the Tories cannot agree on what Brexit might mean, makes the EUs complaints that discussions cannot carry on as the UK Government has no clear position on many subjects, like the "divorce", and that it cannot trust that discussions with Davis, or whoever, has the unanimous backing of the Government..

4 months have passed since the Article 50 letter was sent, and the Conservatives are still playing party politics with the nation's future. It is also clear that they still have no real idea what Brexit means (ahem) other than Brexit, of course. That the Cabinet, let alone the Government of Parliament cannot agree on something basic like what to do with movement and status of EU Nationals, and by default, movement and status of UK Nationals in the EU, only 20 months remain before the Brexit alarm clock goes off, and Britain either has a deal, cancels Brexit or more likely crashes out of the EU without a deal become very real.

Two deadlines are to be looked for: one this year in the autumn when the EU will decide if enough progress has been made on three urgent issues, including the Irish Border, if not no further talks on anything else will take place. And secondly, all talks will stop six months before 29th March 2019, so end of September 2018, to allow for the ratification process through the EU and other parliaments and courts. These are real deadlines and are important.