Theresa May promised a “meaningful” vote in February. She now promises a Vote on March 12.
As the United Kingdom’s labyrinthine Brexit crisis goes down to the wire, May is making a last-ditch effort to negotiate changes to the divorce package, though lawmakers could try to grab control of Brexit in a series of parliamentary votes on Wednesday.
British parliament voted 432-202 against her deal in January, the worst defeat in modern British history, prompting May to promised to seek changes that would allow lawmakers to ratify the agreement and avoid a potentially disorderly exit.
The new ‘high noon’ for Brexit, May and the British parliament will be on March 12, only 17 days before Britain is due to leave on March 29.
“We won’t bring a meaningful vote to parliament this week but we will ensure that that happens by the 12th of March,” May told reporters on board her plane.
European Council President Donald Tusk told May that the EU needs clarity that what the bloc might offer would command a majority in the British parliament before a summit of EU leaders scheduled on March 21-22, an EU official said.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he could not accept a post-Brexit border backstop that has a time limit or a unilateral exit clause, ruling out a suggestion from British Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Meaning of Meaningful
UK MPs voted 432-202 against May’s deal in January. One might think that was meaningful, but that’s not the way things are in politics.
It would only have been meaningful, had May won the vote.
Following that massive unmeaningful defeat, she promised a meaningful vote in February. Today, May postponed that vote because it would have lost.
Thus, another way of not having a meaningful vote is to not have a vote at all.
Meaning of Clarity
European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker both want clarity.
The UK parliament and Theresa may have provided clarity for month. The UK does not want to be trapped in permanent “temporary” backstop.
Tusk and Juncker don’t want clarity, unless it’s what they want to hear. The obvious solution to this problem is to deny clarity of something that is perfectly clear.
For some reason, May has not been bright enough to fire this bit of clarity back at the EU.
Meaning of Temporary
The Brexit agreement that Theresa May negotiated calls for a “temporary” backstop.
But there are no provisions as to how to end the backstop. The EU could have demanded anything including fishing rights, more money, Gibraltar, literally anything. And they would have too. The backstop is a massive permanent blackmail trap.
It is amazing that Theresa May cannot see this. Alternately, she can, and does not really want to deliver Brexit.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar
The Irish Prime Minister says he will not accept a backstop that is temporary. Nor will he accept Brexit. This creates logical problems in more than one place.
However, he does not get a vote. Thus it is nonsense for the article to state Varadkar’s position “rules out a suggestion from British Environment Secretary Michael Gove.”
Default Position
Various UK MP factions want May to rule out a no deal Brexit but that is logically impossible.
Unless there is a majority for some other alternative, that the EU would accept, a no deal Brexit is the default position.
Is this clear?
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Really this business of democracy and voting has gone way to far.
It seems that the people get it wrong every time now.
It should have been done away with long ago.
“Thus, another way of not having a meaningful vote is to not have a vote at all.”
Or nullify the vote. May belongs in the EU. They have exactly the same idea.
The EU can’t afford let the UK leave on UK terms. It’s not just the flow of funds from the UK and net loss of trade. With other EU members growing restless about leaving, the EU can’t give them any encouragement through a Brexit precedent. I hope the royal family prevents social violence by proclaiming all efforts are to be made to ensure Brexit is honored by March 29th.
Unfortunately, throughout the West politics has become an unwatchable “Clown Show”.
Probably by design.
Interesting video concluding that “No Deal” is almost certain:
I’m off to the UK soon, should be an interesting time to be there.
A permanent state of can kicking is the other default option. That’s also the option that avails British politicians, Brussels drunks and the City leech army, the greatest opportunity to grandstand and command importance.