There are eight days before a crash-out Brexit, and even a delay until June 30, which is what May is peddling now, looks to be a long shot. Yves Smith assesses the situation this morning in "Brexit: Opening the Seals."
The EU is signaling its opposition to any extension unless May can get her withdrawal agreement through parliament in the next week. This would require that Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow allow a third "meaningful vote" on May's withdrawal agreement, something he overruled earlier in the week. The EU could facilitate a Bercow about-face by officially approving some side letters to the agreement. This would allow Bercow to argue that the agreement had changed and hence could be voted anew.
But if Bercow waves another vote through, there is no indication, even allowing for a DUP flip, that May's plan now has the votes to pass. The votes would have to come from Labour because the Brexit ultras among the Tories are going to stand pat; they're very close to the Beulah Land of a crash out.
A petition drive is underway to revoke Article 50. May has the power to revoke Article 50, but she steadfastly refuses to do so.
This is it. Time is about to run out. The British parliamentary system is at impasse. Panic will increase in the coming days. Things will not get better; things will get worse. When you've been living a zombie apocalypse year after year -- let's face it, decades -- you can't expect nirvana overnight.
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