1. A blindfold Brexit deal with so little agreed on future security & economic cooperation is too risky & weakens UK negotiating power on the future partnership. My article from last week on why Parliament shd vote against PMs deal & extend Article 50 telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…
2. Cross border crime & threats increasing, yet Deal has no agreement on SIS2 criminal database which U.K. checks 500 million x a transition for wanted criminals, terror suspects, weapons. Nor any commitment to replica EAW. (Full article outside paywall) yvettecooper.com/pm_must_extend…
3. But there’s no Plan B on security. No one involved thinks a future Security Treaty can be agreed & fully ratified in each member state in 2yrs. But unlike on Northern Ireland or customs, there’s no security backstop to prevent serious capability gap when transition runs out.
4. Even on the economy & trade, we weaken our negotiating power if we walk out now with so little clue where we are heading. How can Parliament sign up to that in the national interest?
5. Theresa May hoped that by fudging the long term future deal she could persuade enough people to sign up blindfold and give her & the EU negotiators the benefit of the doubt. But she has failed to build trust with anyone, hence the mess.
6. But nor should the PM be threatening UK with No Deal just to get a weak deal through. Parliament rightly cannot accept No Deal, that’s why it’s time for Govt, Parliament & EU to stop the ticking clock, extend Article 50, pause for breath & think again.
