“Theresa the appeaser,” as some call her, has done it again. After repeatedly promising the British electorate that Brexit means Brexit, that the U.K. would officially leave the European Union on March 29, and that no deal is better than a bad deal, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced tonight in a televised address that she has asked the European Commission to extend the departure date to June 30. EU official Donald Tusk has said that the EU would agree to the three-month extension under the Lisbon Treaty only if the U.K. parliament first approves May’s negotiated withdrawal agreement, which Brexit champion Nigel Farage has described as a surrender document, and which the House of Commons has voted down twice already. Ironically, this Catch-22, however, means that a no-deal Brexit is still possible.
See Updates below.
Opinion polls, moreover, suggest the British public — despite the fear-mongering from the political establishment and the London-centric, globalist media — increasing backs a no-deal Brexit, which would trigger World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, which most nations abide by already. Various government and commercial entities have reportedly already made plans for a no-deal Brexit.
“So either MPs back May’s deal or we’re headed for No Deal next Friday. An EU exit on WTO terms is still possible if Brexiteers stand firm,” Westmonster declared.
Absent further parliamentary action, the law of the land in the U.K. is that Brexit still occurs at 11 p.m. on March 29.
The PM says that she won’t delay Brexit Day beyond June 30, but can anyone reasonably accept that commitment under the circumstances?
By some estimates, Theresa May promised more than one hundred times that Brexit would occur on March 29.
It’s been almost three years since Britain voted to exit the EU and reclaim its freedom and sovereignty. In negotiating the divorce, unfortunately, May and her team capitulated to the EU on virtually every aspect of what was stipulated in the withdrawal agreement, turning it into Brexit in Name Only, or BRINO.
She then inexplicably tried to sell the flawed deal, which keeps or traps the U.K. in the single market and the Customs Union, to parliament and the British public as delivering on a real Brexit.
Although parliament is dominated by Remainers (or Remoaners), lawmakers among the Conservative coalition and the opposition Labor Party for different reasons have rejected May’s deal. MP Brexiteers currently say they could only vote for it if the EU makes substantial concessions, which doesn’t seem to be in the cards at this time. Plus, the parliamentary speaker has blocked a third vote unless the agreement goes through major changes.
May has ruled out a second Brexit referendum, which is being pushed by some Remainers, but she could conceivably flip-flop on that too.
MP Boris Johnson, the former London mayor, has pointed out that that May’s deal as currently constituted could be worse than the status quo because it transforms the U.K. into simply a non-voting EU member. “We do not then take back control of our laws. We do not take back control of our trade policy. Even our immigration policy will be in flux,” Johnson has observed.
Does Theresa May have any friends? Wasn’t there someone in her circle that could tell her that her flawed negotiation strategy, which included appointing only Remainers to the bargaining team, wouldn’t fly?
Put it this way: Would you hire a divorce attorney intent on giving up all your leverage and assets to your soon-to-be ex-spouse?
May also publicly opposes a no-deal Brexit, thereby forfeiting the best bargaining chip at this stage.
Politicians are usually obsessed with their legacy. In bungling Brexit, May and the snobbish political establishment has destroyed the British voters’ trust in democracy, split the Conservative Party, and possibly handed the government by default (which in the U.K. is what we would call the executive branch) to the far-left, pro-EU Labor Party whenever the next national election occurs. Labor also has its problems, however.
In the June 2017 snap election, the Conservative (or Tory) Party under May collectively campaigned on a promise to implement Brexit on schedule.
The current “shambolic” (as the Brits would say) situation or debacle suggests that just like in the U.S., the U.K. is afflicted with an unelected Deep State bureaucracy intent on thwarting the will of the people.
Writing in the London Telegraph in an Op-Ed published on Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr. wondered if Brexit was a ruse and chided Theresa May for not following his father’s advice.
“Nearly three years ago, the British people shocked the global power-brokers by voting to leave the European Union. Promises were made, elections were held, and debates over Great Britain’s exit plan from the EU began shortly after, with every politician promising to respect the decision of the people. Britons were told to wait, to be patient and to trust the politicians…
“Since 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May has promised on more than 50 separate occasions that Britain would leave the EU on March 29 2019. She needs to honor that promise.
“But Mrs May ignored advice from my father, and ultimately, a process that should have taken only a few short months has become a years-long stalemate, leaving the British people in limbo.
“Now, the clock has virtually run out and almost all is lost – exactly as the European elites were hoping. Some pro-Brexit politicians even suggest that Mrs May herself is trying to sabotage Brexit, by insisting that Parliament agree to a deal that essentially keeps Britain bound to the EU indefinitely.
“With the deadline fast approaching, it appears that democracy in the UK is all but dead. Why is this important for us Americans? Because Brexit is an example of how the establishment elites try to subvert the will of the people when they’re given the chance.
” Here in the United States, we’ve seen similar efforts to overturn legitimate election results…Instead, the Democrats and deep-state operatives in our justice system have been colluding to subvert the will of the American people, with high-level officials even discussing a scheme to try to remove him from office using the 25th Amendment of our constitution.
“In a way, you could say that Brexit and my father’s election are one and the same – the people of both the UK and the US voted to uproot the establishment for the sake of individual freedom and independence, only to see the establishment try to silence their voices and overturn their mandates.
“What we’re seeing now in Washington, London and Brussels is the desperate, last-gasp attempt by those previously in power to cling on to what was once theirs in the face of an overwhelming mandate for change.”
The British public has also concluded that May’s handling or mishandling of Brexit constitutes a “national humiliation.”
Nigel Farage is leading a Brexit Day rally against politicians who are betraying Brexit.
Check back for the latest Brexit updates.
Update: According to the Guido Fawkes U.K. political blog, May has made things worse:
“After her disastrous statement last night, support has started to slip away from Theresa May and her deal. Leave-backing MPs increasingly believe that voting down her deal means No Deal, whereas Remain-backing MPs increasing believe that voting down her deal will mean the EU will force the UK into a long extension lasting at least a year, giving them time to push their duplicitous ‘Common Market 2.0’ plan or even a second referendum.”
Update: The EU has agreed to a shorter extension than what Theresa May wanted.
From Westmonster:
“EU leaders did not agree to May’s date of 30th June and instead put forward two options.
“If May’s proposed deal is rejected again by MPs, then the UK can leave with No Deal on 12th April, or request a longer extension that would mean taking part in European Elections. The thought of Brits being made to vote for another set of MEPs should seriously disturb every MP in Parliament. It would represent an even bigger failure of Parliament than we’ve seen unfold thus far.
“But if May’s deal is voted through, as still seems unlikely, the UK will leave on 22nd May…Theresa May said that she recognized the British people are tired with the process and want Brexit delivered, So why has she agreed to delay the UK’s EU exit despite previous pledges not to do so? Faith and trust totally shattered.”
British media is reporting that parliament could even short-circuit Brexit entirely and ignore the referendum results.
From Breitbart London:
“Theresa May is considering giving MPs a vote on seven Brexit options, including revoking Article 50, over fears her Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union will not pass in the House of Commons, according to Sky News sources.
“The indicative votes would be on revoking Article 50 — the EU exit clause triggered in March 2017 — accepting her Withdrawal Agreement, accepting her agreement plus a customs union and Norway-style membership of the EU’s Single Market (the ‘softest’ possible Brexit), a free trade agreement, a second referendum, or a clean, no-deal Brexit, according to an anonymous senior minister who spoke to the broadcaster,
“Another source told Sky News that several members of the Government back the plans as a ‘way to find a solution’ if Mrs May’s controversial and unpopular agreement is rejected for a third time — assuming the Speaker of the House of Commons allows Mrs May to put it forward again.”
As head of the new Brexit Party, MEP Nigel Farage has vowed to contest the European elections — if the U.K. takes part in them — over what he deemed a betrayal of democracy:
