Westminster, London — When Theresa May appeared before the House of Commons today, it was clear that Parliament is still utterly divided. Boris Johnson, a Tory Brexiteer, had an air of gravity about him as he walked in. The prime minister — who looks beyond exhausted — gave a predictable preamble, defending her deal and calling for unity in pursuit of the “national interest.” Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition, then led the offensive by accusing her of leading the country into “national crisis”.
Corbyn further charged May with deliberately wasting time so that Parliament would be faced with a seemingly impossible ultimatum: her deal or no deal. Corbyn threatened to call a vote of no confidence should the prime minister continue to delay the vote. But May reassured the House that they would hold the “meaningful vote” in mid January.
Not much has changed here. May’s deal is as good as dead. The EU won’t budge. And since Brexit day (March 29) is only months away, various contingencies are now underway for the event of no deal. If Parliament tries to block a no-deal Brexit, therefore, they would have to do so by voting for something else. And Corbyn is right to point out that the clock is ticking on what this might be.
Last week, some MPs had suggested a series of “indicative votes” whereby MPs would be “invited to say what it would agree with” in the event that May’s deal is voted down. This would test the waters, but some Brexiteers fear it could lead to a softer Brexit (known as “Norway plus”) or no Brexit at all by an extension of Article 50 (pending EU approval), followed by a second referendum.
Some journalists are calling this Brexit gridlock, Ground-Hog May. Poor woman. The PM might have won her confidence vote, but she has lost control of Parliament.