Some pundits have wrongly interpreted Donald Tusk’s statement this evening as setting up a binary choice between the government’s deal and crashing out of the EU without any deal at all next week. Other options remain on the table.
The key to understanding the European Council president’s statement is to realise that it was a response to Theresa May’s letter this morning. In it, she asked for a delay to Brexit until the end of June to give her time to ram her deal through Parliament.
Tusk said he thought EU leaders might agree a “short” delay at their summit meeting tomorrow – so long as MPs approve the prime minister’s deal. But this is not the same as saying the only alternative to the deal is to crash out with no deal – an option that the European Council president didn’t address in his statement.
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There is, of course, another alternative to the deal – a longer delay to Brexit. Such a delay could open up all sorts of possibilities that the prime minister has been strangling for nearly three years – in particular, softer forms of Brexit and asking the people whether they still want Brexit now they see what a frightful horlicks it has become.
Tusk didn’t address this issue in his statement because the prime minister didn’t request a longer delay in her letter to him. However, he did tweet last week that he would appeal to the leaders to be “open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it.” That remains the case – but it seems to depend on the UK deciding it wants a rethink.
The prime minister clearly has no such wish. But she is not a dictator. In the coming days, sensible ministers and Parliament must force her to change her mind.
We, the people, must pile on the pressure too. That’s why the huge “Put it to the People” march being planned for Saturday is so important. Turn up, bring your friends and family, and make your views known.