Ross Clark Ross Clark

The tragedy of the Brexit Chequers summit

Today has been so bigged-up as a day of destiny for Britain that it can only deliver disappointment. Even if we do have white smoke rising from the chimneys of Chequers by the end of the day, together with a photo full of strained smiles as the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary apparently agree on a blueprint for Brexit full of delicate compromises and trade-offs, why does anyone think that Michel Barnier and his team will give the nod to what is agreed?

It is remarkable how little this matter has been raised over the last few days. We have had endless speculation on the internal politics of the cabinet. We have had rumours of resignations, a last minute summit at which David Cameron is said to have talked Boris out of a threat to resign. But scarce acknowledgement that the Cabinet is not going to get to lay down the landscape of Brexit by itself. On the contrary, all the Cabinet is agreeing – or not agreeing – upon is the latest batch proposals to present before the court of Michel Barnier.

To judge by his past record it should not be difficult to work out what will happen next. The government will have bust its collective gut to come up with something that its resident Brexiteers and Remainers can just about accept – and then M. Barnier will shake his head and say: “non, that is not possible. That option does not exist”.

He has done it every time. His modus operandi is there for everyone to see: it is to stonewall all proposals coming from London and then to complain that the UK government doesn’t know what it wants, hasn’t presented him with a workable plan and then to tell us that the clock is ticking.

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