Thread by @pmdfoster

The May-Juncker meeting statement.

A "robust and constructive" in which both sides appear to have reiterated red lines.

Tick-tock...

The statement speaks to a new talks proces which I understand for now is focused on trying to get those Tusk-Juncker letters into some kind of legally binding form.

Will that satisfy Steve Baker and his boys? No. Might it open door to shrink rebel cohort..maybe/2

The key for EU is that a solution "would gain the broadest possible support in the UK Parliament" - and when they see @NadineDorries @SteveBakerHW tweeting they're pretty clear that isn't a backstop tweak. May needs to get close enough to rope in Labour votes to do a deal. /3

@NadineDorries @SteveBakerHW As written this morning, the May flirtation with Malthouse Compromise has dented EU confidence and shortened tempers. /4

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/…

@NadineDorries @SteveBakerHW May's plan, it seems, is to flirt with Labour/soft Brexit in the hope she can still do *her* deal when bulk of 118 rebels accept that its' better than a) soft Brexit b) GE/PV c) no Brexit and hold their noses and vote for it. So Plan A..... /5

@NadineDorries @SteveBakerHW Essentially she is still trying to thread the needle between preserving Tory party unity and the national/parliamentary consensus which lies somewhere not a million miles from the Corbyn plan.

If Cooper-Boles or variant thereof fails again on 14th...then let's see. /6

@NadineDorries @SteveBakerHW There was/is an argument for the EU showing more 'leg' on where it will go when we get into the endzone - or risk hardening intransigence Westminster and deepening dizziness around a 'no deal' which I think EU underestimates. /7

@NadineDorries @SteveBakerHW But it's easy to say that - and from an EU perspective, May's behaviour over Malthouse really doesn't incentivise that kind of approach.

So chicken it is. /ENDS