MPs must unite to save Britain from no-deal
Three months ago, EU leaders were adamant that, whatever the new Prime Minister claimed, the withdrawal agreement hashed out with Theresa May was not up for renegotiation.
Progress over the summer was glacial, and at the start of last week, experts were still claiming that the chances of a new Brexit deal were next to zero. And yet, the withdrawal agreement was reopened and, at the eleventh hour, a deal has materialised.
The backstop has gone, the terms have changed, and now MPs will have their say in parliament’s Super Saturday. That we have even got to the point where MPs are able to vote again on a managed exit from the EU is an achievement that few saw coming.
It should not be underestimated, and even Boris Johnson’s critics should admire what he has managed. They should also note that, unlike May, this PM appears to have won the support of hardline Brexiters in his own party, making success on Saturday more likely — if far from certain.
Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP have all reflexively come out against the deal, despite it being the most straightforward way of avoiding the outcome they have all condemned: crashing out with no deal at all.
The support of the rebels who quit the Tory party last month is far from a given and the crucial DUP, around whose votes so much of the negotiation has centred, is still opposed.
The outcome of Brexit thus remains on a knife edge. The deal is not perfect, and some economists have argued that it would be more detrimental to the UK economy than May’s would have been. But May’s deal was put before parliament on three occasions, and rejected each time.
The decision MPs must make is about what is on the table now, not what might have been. In deciding, they should not disregard the clear message that the EU wants this matter resolved — now.
That European leaders came back to the negotiations at all having previously refused to do so is evidence of their desire to move beyond the exit talks. Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday made clear that he doesn’t want to see another extension, while Michel Barnier said “it’s time to turn the page, and look towards out new partnership with the UK”.
This should be noted by Remainers in parliament still clinging to the faint hope that, with a little help from Europe, Brexit can be stopped.
If the deal does not pass tomorrow, the only certainty is further chaos and uncertainty. The PM has found a route out of the gridlock that has paralysed the country for three years.
For this he should be congratulated, and MPs should get behind the deal.