I was in Westminster last night for a meeting so I was around when the votes on the Brexit amendments started to come in. Well, we all know what happened. Theresa May scraped through on the Brady amendment, thanks to a temporarily reunited Tory party and, as I predicted last year, a group of Brexit-backing Labour MPs. We were, of course, previously told that her deal was absolutely final, non-negotiable, totally impossible to change, cross my heart and hope to die etc etc etc. Now in survival mode, Mrs May went for her own jugular by backing an amendment that trashed all her previous claims. Having been defeated once, she now leads the cavalry charge against her own plans. Given that the EU are still making it clear that they are standing by loyal and supportive EU member Ireland, and that the existing exit deal was negotiated along the lines of Mrs May's very own red lines, it is difficult to see what "alternative arrangements" could be agreed upon in the weeks we have left that would be acceptable to the EU.
It is likely that she will get next to nothing more from the EU unless she makes a major concession. That looks unlikely. She has snatched defeat from the jaws of defeat. What a record to have!
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