Thread by @Usherwood

Some thoughts on #EUCO deal:

1/

Rightly, lots of comment last night about how clever the proposed mechanism is. Protects EU interests, while still keeping screws on UK to decide what to do

2/

But also worth noting that EUCO came up with deal at all. Much expectation (not least by me) that they'd kick it into next week, due to lack of prep time

So why didn't this happen?

3/

I'd put it down to cratering of trust in UK capacity to do anything, coupled to high anxiety about possible no-deal on various MS

4/

The Tusk plan on Wed offered a way fwd on short extension, but clear that no confidence in MV3, so then much pressure to work out approach to longer option, w/o getting stuck in endless loop

5/

All of which to say that EU27 might well be sick of it all, but doesn't mean washing of hands. Failure of May to bring plan yesterday meant EU took as much control of process as possible to forestall further annoyance

6/

Only danger in the approach is that mechanism only really works once. If UK calls bluff on plan by 12 Apr, then we're back to square one on this aspect

7/

Overall, a reminder that EU cares more about Brexit than it sometimes appears.

And that this a double-edged sword for UK

/end