MINI THREAD on the dangerous and orchestrated “the EU always compromises at the eleventh hour” narrative emerging from extreme Brexiters. This is based on three very fundamental misconceptions:
First, a misunderstanding of past EU behaviour: it’s true the EU budge at the last minute when negotiating *with a member*, because not budging would threaten Union cohesion. When it’s a third party, and a change is what actually threatens cohesion, they’ve walked away, eg TTIP.
Second, this all-in approach is only valid if no deal is a credible outcome. It is not. Both sides know the UK is woefully underprepared for it and MPs have shown they won’t allow it. This means the closer we get to 29th March the WORSE the UK’s negotiating position becomes.
Third, the anglocentric idea that only the UK has a domestic audience to think of. *Every leader* is facing internal challenges for europhobic populist groupings. You think Macron will hand Le Pen the advantage of being able to claim a departing member can get an amazing deal?
These are such obvious strategic miscalculations, that continuing to push them is either monumental stupidity or dangerous mischief. Both @UKParliament and @10DowningStreet must not allow the headbangers to run down the clock and bring the country to the edge of the abyss.
