Like something out of a cheap horror show, Theresa May's terrible Withdrawal Agreement surrender treaty is set to make a comeback to the House of Commons.
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MPs across the house have emptied magazine after magazine of 'no' votes into the lurching living dead that is Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement surrender treaty, but it just refuses to be killed off.
But it will come back, not as the deal itself, but in the form of the enabling Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill, or WAB, that would, if it got onto the statute books, make her treaty law in the UK.
And reportedly that bill will be presented to MPs in early June. But Labour says its MPs will not back that bill unless the current Tory/Labour negotiations on coming to an agreement over the political declaration bear fruit.
But I expect Theresa May will keep trying to push her deal through. And using this technique she can try and get the WAB through the house, which would effectively mean that MPs were agreeing with her Withdrawal Agreement treaty and Political Declaration.
But, by forcing this WAB on MPs, it could also act as a vehicle for trying to sort out what sort of deal would make it through the Commons.
Because as soon as it was published and on the order paper, the amendments would come flooding in from all corners of the House. Maybe Theresa May wants to show the EU what MPs want when they are asked to vote on these amendments.
But that would be a forlorn last roll of the dice to just get snake eyes. As those amendments would all be re-runs of the previous amendments to motions that fell by the wayside due to lack of support. And I see those amendments and her bill being rejected in the same way.
Because the majority of MPs have no other intention than reversing Brexit and I think they can see a route through to that end now.
And it all hinges on the fact that we've now involved ourselves in the European Elections, therefore giving the UK the representation in the EU parliament that gives the Remainers room to breathe and enables us to keep asking for more Article 50 extensions before manoeuvring the UK into revoking the Article 50 letter.
Without electing MEPs we would be forced out of the EU by the end of the month, which is why we were always going to hold them.
All Theresa May and her sidekicks are doing, is playing for more time.
And then at some stage the French maybe will step in and say, that's it, no more extensions – decision time! That will then leave our politicians with the choice of No deal or reversing Brexit completely.
And as the House of Commons has repeatedly voted no deal down, Theresa May would in all probability give them the casting vote.
And of course there will be only one outcome from that, won't there?
Today, in the house of commons during PMQs the Prime Minister, Theresa May, stated in answer to a question from Tory MP Nigel Evans that with her treaty:
"… we will end free movement, restore full control over our immigration policy, open up new trading opportunities around the world and end the days of sending vast payments to the European Union and we will not pay for market access…."
Except, of course, for the small matters of £39 billion to become a vassal state of the EU and the Irish border backstop that will force the UK into a permanent customs union where we have no say. Anyway, that aside, she also said:
"…he and I both stood on a manifesto promising to deliver the best possible deal for Britain as we leave the European Union, delivered by a smooth orderly Brexit, as we seek a new deep and special partnership including a comprehensive free trade and customs agreement with the European Union."
Now, two things with that statement: firstly, I would have liked her to refer to the United Kingdom, not 'Britain', as Britain does not include Northern Ireland and given the sensitivity of the backstop issue this will have been picked up by the likes of the DUP. Secondly, her reference to a customs agreement, does that mean a customs union? I think it does, but probably not one that Labour could agree to.
But even if they did, MPs will not go for it because they either want to Remain as full members of Leave completely. So it's doomed whichever way you look at it.
This customs union ploy is designed to make the deal as unacceptable as it can be to both sides. It will therefore keep getting rejected while the Article 50 time is wound down to force the decision I outlined earlier – no deal or no Brexit.
But Tory Brexiteer MP Peter Bone is taking no prisoners. He also asked the PM a question today, basically asking her what he should say to his local party activists that want shot of her, because they've lost all faith and confidence in her.
And her answer was a pathetic:
"This is a government that wants to deliver Brexit, and is working to deliver Brexit."
Now, whatever Mrs May is working towards, it is definitely not Brexit!
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