As things stand here are the possibilities
- Theresa May’s deal.
Put simply May’s deal is entirely in keeping with her own character and the way she has acted for the last two years. It is an agreement to dither. It is an agreement to delay problems. It sorts out nothing. It stitches up a compromise in the hope that it will hold together a Conservative Party that consists of two completely incompatible factions.
- No deal
Yet, just because something is utterly stupid and it doesn’t have the support of the vast majority of the British people doesn’t mean it can’t happen. A cock up crash out Brexit will remain a possibility. After all, if nothing else is agreed it is the do nothing option that the Prime Minister triggered when she issued Article 50. You leave without a deal unless you sign a deal. Parliament has lots of people opposed to things but few who actually favour any version of what Mrs May can negotiate.
- Delay and dither
- An election
If Labour gets its head around this situation then it will back proportional representation and strike deals in different constituencies that will produce an electoral landslide in its favour. If it insists on telling people that they must vote for the one true progressive party and describing all others as splitters and class traitors then it is almost guaranteed to lose. Insulting natural allies and telling them that they must go away because they are a nuisance is not a great strategy. Focusing on Labour winning its traditional heartlands whilst helping other progressive parties to win in Remain supporting constituencies is the only strategy that can deliver a sound beating to the reactionaries.
After nine years of incompetent government, nine years of austerity being inflicted on the wrong people, nine years of squabbling and splits, and an utter failure to deliver their central policy the Conservatives should be on their knees. Instead they are favourites to win the next election. What does that say about Labour?
- Get the best deal on offer
When you are in a hole it is not a bad idea to stop digging, climb out and take a look at the other possibilities that surround you. All MPs have to do to get out of the current mess is to call a referendum and ask the British people to say what is their first and second choice on the real options that are on offer. What do we want? No Deal? May’s Deal? Or no Brexit?
We’ve had a chance to say which promises sounded nice. We now need a chance to say which realities we are prepared to put up with.
The alternative is another two years of squabbling whilst we dither our way towards discovering that we are in the same mess at the end of the transition period as we are right now.