Thread by @paulwaugh

Theresa May is now seriously contemplating a no-deal Brexit. Here's the story of why:
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/theresa-…

TLDR:
If you're a Remainer, be afraid, be very afraid.
If you're a 'clean Brexit' Leaver, you'll be delighted.
The PM is being swayed by internal polls/focus groups showing she's more popular when she flags no-deal.

Among the many key quotes:
“What worries me now is that it feels like something has changed,” says one MP. “It feels like she’s crossed a line now. She’s boxed herself so far in she’s lost any capacity to pivot, even though she might want to in her head, she’s stuck now.”

“The key thing over everything else is her survival instincts - there’s nothing wrong with those. Credit where it’s due.
“She’s trying to navigate it week by week. I don’t think she will take a conscious decision, I think she will end up acquiescing in one or other form."

“She gets to save her party and potentially gets to live for another day. She will be the PM who delivered Brexit. She can blame Parliament and Tusk, Juncker and the EU [for no-deal] and say I managed it as best as anyone could. "

“I used to think it was a good thing she never had any strong ideological links, that she was she was pragmatic and would balance up either side of the argument. But what was her asset is now a massive flaw. She will go wherever the wind takes her."

"A lot of people are in despair. The sensible ones have their head in their hands, the nutters we kept at the door for 40 odd years are now in control. We thought they were dead after they didn’t get rid of her. They're back in control, cos they are willing to blow the house up.”

“I’ve always taken the view that ultimately she is too pragmatic to be ever contemplate a no-deal scenario. But I underestimated her attachment to the Conservative party and the extent to which she, and indeed Philip, are steeped in the party."

“She’s thrown all of her weight behind the chief whip. He’s telling her ‘your party is fucked if you do anything other than hold strong’.”

“I have always thought she doesn’t think four steps ahead, that’s not the way she thinks or operates...She concentrates completely on the step in front of her and that’s what she’s doing right now in trying to get a deal."

"People are basically saying we voted to Leave and if that means no-deal then leave means leave. And I think she’s swayed by that because of this point about politicians being trusted."

"You hope there’s some very clever strategy going on, but there’s a fear that the public’s focus on getting Brexit done and the attachment to the unity of the Conservative party is potentially driving us to a no-deal scenario."