MINI-THREAD: Everything that Theresa May said today in Parliament about the backstop was deeply and deliberately misleading. Here's why. (1/5)
According to the December 2017 progress report (that both sides signed up to) there's a backstop for one reason and one reason only: both sides were committing to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland *whatever happened* in terms of the future relationship. 2/ 
However, today in Parliament our PM claimed that the principle of the backstop had been agreed for a different purpose: to bridge any time gap between the end of what she still insists on calling the 'implementation period' and legal entry into force of any new relationship. 3/
Based on this false claim, she goes on to suggest in effect that the EU is being underhand and moving the goalposts- whereas in fact, as we have established, the EU is being consistent and calling on the UK to stick to what it signed up to in December. 4/
Not good. #BrexitShambles #LeaveLiars (5/5)
