Part of the, or a, Union

Brexit isn't going well.

That will not come as a surprise.

Thing is, the Government really don't know what they want, and don't really understand the way in which negotiations progress. Not taking on board the EU's red lines, but ploughing on regardless.

And then there is the financial impact of course. The Government really can't hide now about how much poorer the country will be after Brexit, so tries to mention it as little as possible.

And this is your weekly reminder that Brexit will happen if the EU and UK are ready or not. Simple operation of International Law and the calendar means there is a very hard deadline next March. But two things that HAVE to happen before then is a deal between the EU and UK, and that the UK has to sort out how EU law will be turned into UK law. In that all mentions of the EU and it's institutions must be replaced by something, or at least remove those references, and at the same time allow the law and the country to operate seamlessly on the 30th March next year.

I think we have covered the first part rather a lot, but for the second part, the Government has to get the Withdrawal Bill through both Houses, and although in the Commons May is helped by a useless opposition lead, in the loosest possible terms, Corbyn. So it falls on the Lords to scrutinise what May and co are trying to do. And the Government can't just ignore what the Lords say, and yesterday it passed a number of motions, including that the Government must report back in November on progress regarding the UK being in either the or a CU.

It will be very difficult for May to ignore this, amendments will have to be written and deals done. But I think what this does is show that ratification has to be done at home, not just in the EU27. Then there is the question of the "meaningful" vote the Commons has been promised on the final deal, if there is one, rather than a Hobson's Choice of take it or leave it, in that the leave it would be leaving the EU without a deal. The Lords and Commons are pushing for the right to instruct May to return to the negotiating table in the case of a bad deal.

May will resist this of course. So, the battle lines are being drawn, and where this ends up no one knows.

Today, a group of cross-party MPs published an amendment stating that UK should be in a CU with the EU. After the show of strength form the Lords, will rebel Tories and Labour MPs ignore the whip when it comes to it? Who knows.