BREXIT fatigue has set in but just as Britain turns off the Groundhog Day soap opera, it is about to get interesting with Theresa May preparing for, as one loyal MP termed it, her "week from hell".
Ever since that summer’s day in 2016, Britain’s long and tortuous departure from the European Union has increasingly dominated the nation’s life.
The Conservative Party’s psychodrama, which David Cameron naively thought he could end once and for all, has become the country’s psychodrama.
Brexit has caused division across kitchen tables, in clubs and pubs, schools and shops as well as in workplaces up and down the land. And, of course, in all of the UK’s wearied democratic institutions; most notably here at Westminster.
The Prime Minister has lost no fewer than 10 ministers because of it, including two Brexit Secretaries, as well as several others from government and party positions.
Labour is not immune. Its Leaver-turned-Remainer leader Jeremy Corbyn is out of step with half his Shadow Cabinet and most of his party on a People’s Vote while one senior Scottish Nationalist admitted the SNP was just as “messed up” by Brexit, which was bleeding into that other deeply divisive issue of independence and when or when not to demand another referendum.
I can honestly say nothing, in the 25 years I have covered the cut and thrust of Parliament, has come anywhere near to Brexit for causing deep divisions; not even the Iraq war or the Scottish independence referendum or any of the many general elections I have reported on.
No 10, at its twice daily press briefings, faces a barrage of Brexit enquiries from reporters, who joke whenever someone asks a rare non-withdrawal-related question.
Attempts to peak through the thick Brexit fog are quickly foiled by spokesmen and women, whose job it is to protect the Prime Minister’s back and ensure the feral beasts of the media know as little as possible about what is really going on; assuming, of course, someone somewhere does.
Every day, there is a tsunami of Brexit-related stories, which in themselves spawn more comment and so more stories.
The Brexit monster has for months bamboozled voters with its endless twists and turns of process accompanied by the never-ending flow of acronyms from CRAG to EFTA and CETA to WAIB.
It is, of course, not just the electorate and indeed journalists who have trouble keeping up with the latest developments but ministers too.
One anonymous member of the Cabinet, following another interminable session on Brexit before the gimlet eyes of MPs, whispered: “God, I’m bored with Brexit. Can’t we just move on and lift this albatross from our neck?”
No doubt, Westminster’s Ancient Mariner was speaking for most if not all of those whose lives have been benighted by Brexit.
And this week, the Brexit monster sank its teeth deeper still with MPs parting company with their parties. The Independent Group has been largely borne of the Remain-Leave divisions that have engrained themselves in the Labour and Conservative Parties.
And yet for all its ability to confuse and frustrate Brexit is too important to allow ourselves to become burdened or bored by it. How we uncouple ourselves from the 40 or so year relationship with the EU will affect people’s lives deeply and those of their children and even grandchildren.
The divisions that have become so entrenched could well take a generation or even two to fully close.
But, of course, Britain has not left yet and, if some had their way, we would not leave at all.
The clock is fast approaching five minutes to midnight and tensions are beginning to seriously fray; evidenced this week by the dramatic Labour and Tory splits.
In Brussels on Wednesday night, the body language between Mrs May and Jean-Claude Juncker, the gregarious European Commission President, looked awful.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, told French radio on Friday: “Today, I am more worried than before,” warning the chances of an accidental no-deal Brexit were high.
Not surprisingly then, Whitehall does not believe the PM will clinch a deal ahead of Wednesday’s crunch Commons vote, meaning the drama will go into March and even into the last week, just days or even hours before the UK leaves at 11pm on the 29th.
Few, if any of her colleagues, know what is actually going on inside the PM’s head in this game of political poker.
This week, MPs can again expect to vote on amendments calling for an extension of Article 50 and for a People’s Vote.
On Monday, Cabinet ministers Amber Rudd, Greg Clark, David Gauke and David Mundell went to see their party leader to call on her to put back Brexit Day.
The Scottish Secretary believes a no-deal would be disastrous economically and constitutionally.
Yet, if Mrs May on Wednesday asks her colleagues once again to give her more time, and some ministers say enough is enough and resign, their number will not include Mr Mundell, who, it is thought, will only go if and when a no-deal Brexit actually happens.
With the Brexit Delivery Group of moderates claiming “dozens” of Tory MPs will defy their leader next week if she sets the country on a no-deal course and the European Research Group of Brexiteers demanding fundamental changes to the backstop, the PM is caught between a rock and a hard place.
On Sunday, she will be in Egypt for the EU-Arab summit at Sharm-el-Sheikh. The official line is that this is not a European Council and Brexit is not formally on the agenda.
But it will be on the PM’s agenda; indeed, it is the only thing on her agenda.
The most important conversations she will have will not be with her Arabian counterparts but with the EU powerbrokers also in the Red Sea resort: Germany’s Angela Merkel and the European Council’s Donald Tusk.
Mrs May will be hoping, as the Brexit soap opera reaches its nail-biting climax, the Chancellor and the President will help her snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and finally put a Brexit-wearied nation out of its misery.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel