Weekend Brexit

You know, I had hoped that with the announcement of the "deal" on Friday, that I could escape not writing about Brexit until the New Year. I mean, the British Parliament is in recess, and I'm sure the EU one is, and all there should be left to do is for both the UK and EU sides to prepare for the next stage of talks.

Only, in Brexitlalaland, it is never that simple.

Yesterday, Pob-in-chief, Michael Gove, said that the British people could change the course of Brexit, even rejecting the deal that the UK Government strikes, or might strike, with the EU in the next election, which is planned for 2022, as per the fixed term act. That the transition/extension deal is expected to expire in 2021, and the UK leave the EU in 2019, quite how these events could be overturned. Of course there is the chance that May's Government could collapse in which case there might be an election, but then the ability to pause/stop/accelerate UK leaving is a gift of which only the EU27 can decide.

This reminds me of the old joke, how can you tell when Michael Gove is lying? His lips move.

So, the deal reached with the EU can be changed, but the referendum cannot be changed. The will of the people cannot be allowed to challenge the will of the people.

And today, DD stated that the deal done with the EU is not binding, the border arrangements not fixed, if there is no deal Britain won't pay a penny of the £39 billion and in any event there won't be a hard border between the UK and Republic of Ireland.

And this shows UK's weakness, disunity in the Cabinet, Ministers openly briefing against the Prime Minister and the deal struck. Behind the deal is the good faith that the EU has that it will be honoured, meaning it is ever more important that May is kept as PM and that the deal struck be enacted into law as soon as possible. One may wonder what agenda DD and Gove has in undermining their own Cabinet, Government and Prime Minister. It seems that the no deal scenario is not dead and might stalk Mrs May once again.

Failing to honour the agreement, though not legally binding, politically it is, would further undermine Britain's standing in Global trade and make us untrustworthy, and so at the time when we need to be trusted most, when we have 60 plus trade deals to strike, no one would believe a word we say. he EU's strength has been from being united and never wavering from it's positions and not crossing it's own red lines. The UK has been a giant plate of jello.