May just continues to inflict wound upon self-inflicted wound upon herself.
She could have asked for an extension until May 22. I think she would most likely have gotten that.
She could ask for an extension, while promising to hold European elections. The EU would not be happy with this, but it would probably agree, if there is a plan in place to ensure the UK reaches a resolution by the end of the deadline.
She chooses to ask for something that she is almost certain not to get, i.e., an extension after MEP, but while refusing to hold MEP elections in the UK. Also, with no plan on how to actually meet the proposed June 30 deadline.
Unless she successfully pulls off some grand political masterstroke in Parliament, this is just peak stupidity.
The idiocracy is lead by fools? Quelle surprise
EU playing hard-ball for May now.
Macron, arriving at the meeting, basically says that if Parliament doesn’t agree to the existing deal, there will be no extension and no further deals.
Rumania says that the max extension they will agree to is 3 weeks (i.e., until April 18).
Germany wants to avoid Hard Brexit at all costs, but the general message seems very clear.
Either the UK agrees to the existing deal. Or it’s Hard Brexit in a few days.
Eh, this is not stupid, in the context of her strategy (which is itself stupid, but that’s a different debate). Remember, she doesn’t want an extension to renegotiate the deal, she wants to pass the deal. The most likely way for the deal to pass is for it to be a clear choice between her deal and no deal (or revocation, for the ERG types). That’s what the short, but too long extension request achieves.The EU has an excuse to put conditionality on it, and she gets to go back to parliament and say it’s my way or the highway.
draxen
3708
The speech last night was also congruent with her strategy. She was elected on the main policy of delivering Brexit. Any kind of delay goes against that policy and hence her political base. Antagonizing Parliament probably wasn’t such a wise move but I agreed with her assessment.
Timex
3709
I’m amazed that this brexit crapis still going on.
It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
Train wrecks are accidents m8
draxen
3712
The pressure mounts:
"Draft conclusions from the EU summit have begun to emerge.
The document, which needs to be given the final sign-off by EU leaders, says the bloc can agree a Brexit extension until 22 May and this is conditional on Theresa May getting her deal approved by MPs next week.
It adds that an extension beyond the European Parliament elections is not possible and that the deal it has agreed with the prime minister is not up for renegotiation."
Looks like there’ll be an extension to 22 May conditional on a yes vote next week. Tusk & Juncker’s political assurances also to be adopted by the Council.
So what does more time give the UK? Just more time to whip votes?
More time to actually implement the withdrawal, because our stupid government stupidly triggered article 50 before it was ready.
Wait, what does that Tweet mean, exactly? That rich people won’t get taxed if there’s no deal, but will get taxed if there’s some deal, which is why they are keen on a no deal brexit?
Probably not clear, but that’s what I meant. Any chance of this being not-stupid hinges on her pulling off a yes-vote for her current deal. And the chances of that are not looking good.
And no matter what happens, the political capital she is expending is never coming back. Though maybe she doesn’t care - the knives are going to come out post-Brexit, no matter what happens, and it’s hard to see how she survives that.
Well, yes, as I’ve said before on this thread, she’s not staying as PM for very long whatever happens. But this approach does maximise the (still slim) chances of her deal getting passed, which is about as close to a success as she seems capable of imagining.
Meanwhile in least surprising EU27 news ever, Vestager is officially running for EC president.
draxen
3720
I expect right from the beginning she knew when accepting the job that she would be the Brexit scapegoat/lightning rod Prime Minister.
My current prediction:
Her “meaningful vote (ugh) 3” will now undoubtedly fail and it will be interesting to see what happens after that. Surely another VONC which she could fail and then a general election and a long Brexit delay (if agreed by EU). If she wins the VONC then no deal Brexit.
EDIT: I’ve just realized - a VONC cannot stop no deal Brexit because Parliament doesn’t have time to change the Brexit date law.
ShivaX
3722
To be fair, if you put another train on the same tracks and never change the rails you’re on and just keep heading towards it, it would be called a “train wreck” when the impact happens. Which is more or less what’s happening.
jpinard
3723
The selfish rich screw over everyone else. What a surprise. It was never about sovereignty to these people. It was always about greed, selfishness, racism, power, and xenophobia.
