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Imagine that the European Parliament passed a motion saying that the Brexit deal was not acceptable to them because the UK was denying freedom of movement after the transition period, do you think that would be helpful to talks?
Do you rather think that in the UK the PM would be indignant that the EU were not listening to our firmest red lines, and that on this basis there was no hope of reaching a deal?
Different if the European Parliament passed a resolution saying it should be £49 billion not £39 billion. Both sides have already said they would negotiate on that, so it just shows the EU really care and give them a little extra impetus. No red lines breached.
The Murrison amendment, in attacking the EU's hardest red line, is profoundly unhelpful to the chances of reaches a deal. It continues to send the message that many in the UK believe Ireland have been wrong all along, and sooner or later we'll win.
The reason that the Ireland border issue was tackled so early in negotiations was that the EU believed if it wasn't the UK would threaten that only this issue stood in the way of a trade deal, and attempt to isolate Ireland. Guess what, they were 100% correct.
So rather than being helpful to talks the Murrison amendment injects further poison into them. The EU and Ireland know the UK has a problem with the backstop, it is circular, the more we know we have a problem the more they know it is necessary
There are Brexit solutions in which there is no Ireland border issue, but they are unacceptable to the Brexit fanatics, who decry Brexit in Name Only, and also claim the Ireland border issue isn't really an issue. 100 MPs at most.
And we're seeking to end the backstop so that the PM's neither one thing nor another deal can pass, at which point we go into trade talks, where guess what, the Ireland border will then be a huge deal. The EU cannot accept this.
There are compromises available, the most obvious is a joint process working on technology solutions between EU and UK. But the no-deal fanatics will not accept this because that would involve trusting the EU.
It's why we have to take no-deal off the table, it is as a major CEO said today "madness" - then decide whether we want the PM's deal, a more permanent arrangement like EEA. And if MPs can't decide on that they have to return to the people.
MPs should support the amendments that prevent no-deal and refuse to support an amendment like this which will only increase the difficulties in talks. And then put the hold-outs on the spot, what will they do if no-deal is not an option? /end
