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Dear EU, please don’t give the ERG and Farage what they want, i.e. no deal. You are utterly tired of the Brits, but no-deal will harm us all, and will make the politics of Brexit a lot worse, also for the EU. 1/
There is a principled position you can adopt. It consists of offering a long extension (say one year), but with the option for the UK to ratify the WA and thus shorten it. It’s for the UK to either approve the deal, or decide that it needs more time for reflection. 2/
You should of course continue to emphasise that the negotiations are over. You should also, at this point, state that you have the power to ensure that the extension does not interfere with the normal running of the EU’s institutions. 3/
That power is implied in your power to extend Art 50. It is a power to ensure an orderly withdrawal, which is what Art 50 is all about. 4/
This means that, as regards the upcoming EP elections, it will be in your gift to take further decisions regarding the UK’s (non-)participation. There is lots to be said for non-participation, if the UK is destined to go out – even if Brexit takes many more months. 5/
No one wants new UK MEPs co-deciding on the new Commission President, for example, if the UK is out any time soon. It is not undemocratic to prevent UK participation in these circumstances; UK EP elections may be undemocratic for the citizens of the other member states. 6/
Such a long extension, but with opportunity for the UK to shorten it, should be non-negotiable. If the UK does not accept, it will have preferred no-deal. You cannot be blamed for that, having negotiated in good faith and having offered time for further reflection. END
