Thread by @jonworth

My mind keeps returning to this extraordinary and ridiculous #Brexit tweet from Downing Street earlier:

https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1012345195608895488

1/12

Commemorative copies of the EU (Withdrawal) Act.

Seriously, commemorative copies of the EU (Withdrawal) Act?

The Brexit equivalent of Charles and Diana commemorative mugs, as one wag said to me on Twitter.

2/12

Ultimately history will judge whether the Withdrawal Act was an important staging post on the route towards Brexit.

Trying to pre-judge the historic-ness of it (or not) just looks crass. Like something from The Thick of It.

3/12

It all looks especially crass in light of the Brexit news in the last week - with Airbus and BMW expressing their severe concerns about the process, with so many issues outstanding.

bbc.com/news/business-…

4/12

At today's #EUCO message wasn't much better. Juncker bemoaned the split British cabinet. Rutte said British government's direction was unclear, and urged the Irish border to be prioritised. Varadkar said UK was 2 years late with its preparations.

theguardian.com/politics/2018/…

5/12

Politico also had a fascinating piece today about how the German government's Brexit work has essentially stopped since March, because they're waiting for some concrete progress from the British.

politico.eu/article/berlin…

6/12

But commemorative copies of the EU (Withdrawal) Act!

7/12

And May today at #EUCO?

She claims that talks have been "making very good progress"

theguardian.com/politics/blog/…

What progress would that be, actually, Theresa?

8/12

Of the three first stage issues, the budget question has largely been solved - but that was months ago. Lots of technicalities relating to citizens' rights are outstanding. And a solution for the Irish border is as far away as ever.

9/12

Meanwhile the next UK government White Paper on Brexit is due next week. *After* the summit at which progress on Brexit was hoped for, but seems certain to not be delivered.

10/12

There is a word for all of this:

DELUSION.

Keeping telling yourself you are making progress, and actually making progress, are completely different things.

11/12

When is the UK government going to snap out of this state?

One might have hoped the warning from Airbus and BMW might have had that effect. No.

A lack of progress at #EUCO. No.

When will it be?

But meanwhile do frame that commemorative EU (Withdrawal) Act.

12/12