The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Theresa May today formally requested a short extension for Brexit until June 30th. This request is despite the following:
- June 30th has already been rejected
- The head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has said that the EU would not grant another short extension (only a long one)
- Donald Tusk the European Council President has already said he would push for a 1 year ‘flextension’
According to some political commentators, the thinking behind this has been done so that when Brussels says no to a 2-month extension but yes to 1 year one, then Theresa May can again blame the EU saying that it is the EU’s fault that Britain was forced into a long extension.
This request from Theresa May is nothing more than disingenuous posturing. It is precisely this sort of stupid, blinkered, political game-playing that created the current situation – and is what perpetuates the impasse! With such a background, is it surprising then that there exists anti-EU sentiment across the British Isles? Exactly how does Mrs May hope to allow the country to puts its differences aside when she herself continues to foster bad-feeling and enmity by casting Europe as the guilty party when in reality it is the British Parliament that failed to find a consensus.
The pattern has always been the same, every concession(and there have been many) the EU has granted the UK is always seen as a ‘victory’ rather than as an accommodation of a European partner’s needs.
The reason parliament has been unable to find a consensus is because of the red lines laid down by Theresa May. Given her red lines and no plan, it is the only deal possible, she is so blinkered that she didn’t see that it would never be acceptable to any of the parliamentary groups.
Also we were constantly told that the EU would blink at the last minute as the always do, those pushing this line as part of the ‘negotiating’ tactics should have realised that the EU may have blinked from time to time in the past, but it was always when they were dealing with fellow members and EU partners.
The continuing arrogance of the UK is encapsulated in this kind of posturing which they thought were negotiating tactics.
These are the very people who will be negotiating for ‘Global Britain’ on the world stage. They don’t realise how stupid they look.