Thread by @Graham_P_Martin

So I decided to spend some time with some of the Sunday papers to try to make sense of where things stand with Brexit, including the parliamentary situation. Here are a few points of note from The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer, in case of interest to anyone else. (1/12)

Suella Braverman on her resignation in the ST. Brexit negotiated by small-c conservative civil servants exceeding their mandate without political accountability. Fine, but feels like a bit of a dereliction on the part of DeExEU ministers, dare I suggest? (2/12)

Lots of Tories talking about a leadership challenge but few yet prepared to put their names to it (Sunday Telegraph). (Indeed, the likelihood of a confidence vote seems to have receded since the papers went to press.) (3/12)

Much stronger rhetoric though from outside the parliamentary Conservative Party (Sunday Telegraph). (4/12)

Odds against May departing before the end of the year currently around 5/4. Favourites to replace her are largely of the harder Brexit orientation (Sunday Telegraph). (5/12)

Various factions are pushing for some variation on renegotiation, something closer to Norway, etc., which might secure a Commons majority (but in defiance of both major parties’ current leaders). (6/12)

Keir Starmer looks to proposes legislation to prevent a no-deal exit! No mention in this coverage of what Corbyn’s position on this might be. (Observer) (7/12)

A useful flow diagram from the Sunday Telegraph, together with the Observer’s take on what might happen next. Cf. the article from the Centre for European Reform that I tweeted yesterday:

https://twitter.com/Graham_P_Martin/status/1063745624095563777

(8/12)

A strangely apposite play advert amidst the Sunday Telegraph’s Brexit coverage #quixotic (9/12)

Most important flaw for pro-Brexit Tories seems to be potential EU veto re. extended transition deal pending settlement of Irish border question. Indefinite purgatory without (ironically) an equivalent to Article 50! (Sunday Telegraph) (10/12)

As things stand, parliamentary support for the deal looks unlikely (Observer)—though clearly things remain in flux. (11/12)

Where the papers (unsurprisingly) differ in their analyses is of what should happen next. ST’s commentators argue for various pro-Brexit steps (renegotiation; leadership challenge; hard Brexit); Observer hardens its call for a second referendum. (12/12)

As a slightly more light-hearted addendum: the Sunday Telegraph shades the battle of the cartoons, run close by Riddell's play on words and grotesque unicorn in the Observer. (13/12)