,
13 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
1/ At this point in Brexit, it's hard not to feel disheartened if you are a Liberal leaver.
2/ pre-referendum, every option from closer than Norway to WTO brexit seemed to be listed as a possible destination. (Except of course it wouldn't be WTO - because of "German car manufacturers" etc)
3/ but then the Prime minister’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy persuaded her to adopt a series of redlines which severely restricted her ability to reach a compromise deal with the EU.
4/ but we weren't too bothered at the time because we thought that like a man in a darkened room fumbling for the light switch, eventually Government would realise that the only solution would be a soft brexit.
5/ there was only so long that HMG could blame EU intransigence 
6/ but now - even after the 2 year article 50 period you have MPs making basic mistakes about what a customs union is/does and what the EEA is. Shameful. These people are literally paid to know this stuff, and they have researchers to help.
7/ so a lot of our former fellow travellers @rolandmcs @TheScepticIsle @OliverNorgrove have now given up on a soft Norway style brexit. That's understandable.
8/ but there is one last roll of the dice yet to come.
9/ MPs have put measures in place to avoid 'no deal'. The Labour and Tory manifestoes are pro-brexit, and we know Mr Corbyn is pro brexit. So we predict a fudge will take place in the next few weeks in these Labour/Conservative talks.
10/ that should be enough to get a version of Mrs May's deal over the line with a vague commitment to "some sort of single market and customs union type deal".
11/ in the transition period, calls for a second referendum or no deal will become muted temporarily, allowing space for people like @SKinnock and @NickBoles to shape the debate into something like CM2.0.
12/ so there you have it. While we have been disheartened too, we haven't given up. But we have done all we can for now (hence we have been quiet of late).
13/ A day may come when the liberal leavers fail, when we forsake the 🇳🇴 option; but it is not this day! An hour of wolves, and shattered shields, when our Brexit vision comes crashing down; but it is not this day! /End
