The rejection of UK prime minister Theresa May’s EU withdrawal agreement for a third time proves beyond doubt that an entirely new approach to Brexit is required. The story of the past two years is one of failure. Parliament, the main political parties, the cabinet and the country as a whole remain as divided today as they were on the morning after the June 2016 referendum.
Fear of splitting the Conservative party has deterred the prime minister from allowing a meaningful and productive debate about what kind of relationship the UK should have with the EU once it has left the bloc.
Consequently, the government has failed to answer clearly the Brexit exam question: what matters more — trade and access to EU markets, or parliamentary sovereignty and control? To stop the political chaos before time runs out, given parliament’s stated opposition to no-deal and the two main parties’ pledge to deliver Brexit, there are three options.
The article by George Bridges appeared on The Financial Times.
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