REMARKABLY, Theresa May seems to have pulled off her latest Brexit high-wire act with a deal of success, keeping both sides of her party as well as the Eurocrats relatively satisfied.
Given her predicament – that whichever way she leans, she is bound to alienate one half of her party as well as the opposition and the Eurocrats – No 10 seemed pleased with the overall response.
Of course, her keynote speech to a gathering of ministers, ambassadors, business leaders and journalists was light on detail and contained yet more broadbrush rhetoric about the need for a “new balance” in our future partnership with the EU27.
But her central message was an acknowledgment that “hard facts” meant both sides would have to compromise to get a beneficial deal.
The Prime Minister admitted post-Brexit Britain would have less access to the single market than it does now; how could it be otherwise given we will be outside the bloc?
While Mrs May’s acceptance that Britain could not have its cake and eat it, she did underline to the Brexiteers how she was fully committed to delivering on the will of the people as pronounced in the 2016 referendum.
Yet she also acknowledged Britain would continue, post Brexit, to pay into certain EU agencies and would, therefore, have to abide by rulings of the European Court. But, overall, we would take back control of our laws and be outwith the ECJ’s general jurisdiction.
In other words, Brexit involves a raft of grey technical areas.
The Northern Irish border remains the biggest hurdle with the UK pinning its hopes on technology solving the problem. The PM’s one announcement was that Dublin, Brussels and London would now put their heads together to come up with a frictionless solution; albeit 18 months after the vote.
Then, of course, there is Scotland, which Nicola Sturgeon insists is still being cold-shouldered by Whitehall, that she maintains continues to undermine devolution with a naked power-grab.
Mrs May set as one of her five tests that the Brexit process would actually turn “our precious union” into a “stronger, more cohesive nation”.
Yet with the Scottish and Welsh Governments continuing to say Whitehall is not taking their views seriously and are now in the process of passing their own Brexit legislation to safeguard devolution, it is hard to see how a constitutional crisis can be avoided.
The PM's delicate balancing act could still end with a great tumble.
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