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I'm going to gamble here and explain why I disagree with @pmdfoster over his interpretation of the Commission's messaging on tech fixes in the past few days. Gamble because he is usually right, but I think there's a missing negotiator's context 1/
This is the central argument - that by destroying the backstop now the Commission are removing a ladder the ERG could climb down at the last minute. But I think the Commission think the PM removed this last week and want to make that clear 2/
The Brexit deal as constructed to the PM's recipe relied on ignoring the fact that there were no technology solutions to the Irish border, pretending that there would be in the future relationship. Kick the can down the road, keep the Conservatives united 3/
Most people think the PM knew she was being disingenuous in claiming her deal would deliver no Irish border and a fully independent trade policy, but there was also the possibility she had come to believe it. One day perhaps, but not for many years... 4/
Then last week the PM denounced her own deal in its most fundamental aspect, the backstop constructed to kick the problem down the road. Implicitly she blamed the EU for the backstop when she should have well known it was designed to avoid an uncomfortable situation 5/
For without the backstop and ambiguous future relationship a choice has to be made between a close economic relationship with the EU, or a border. That is the choice the PM has been delaying, preferably for ever 6/
The PM reneged on her negotiations and attempted to put the blame on the EU. This is such appalling negotiating etiquette that the EU had to respond, and be entirely clear there are no technology solutions. That we can't escape the choice 7/
This was already the talk of Brussels last week, that accepting the Brady / Malthouse stuff backed the PM even further into a corner, which they hadn't thought possible. Then once again the UK Government ignored what was being said in Brussels and carried on regardless... 8/
This is Salzburg all over again. The EU can handle the ambiguity of the Withdrawal Agreement, can issue some clarifications, but will not back down on their red line particularly when the UK side has accepted it several times over 9/
Supporting Malthouse / Brady was a disaster for the PM, yet again self-inflicted by wishful thinking that she could keep things united for a little longer. Where she goes to next I have no idea, because ultimately her party is not united and she is in denial 10/ end
