Even Baldrick had a plan!

The problem is , Leeds22, that "moving on" could not possibly happen for a very long time. May's deal is only the withdrawal deal, ie just the first stage of brexit. If that went through then for the next ten, fifteen, or twenty years our politics would be dominated by trade negotiations and disputes, instead of all the really important issues which affect our lives

Why is it that another referendum is considered undemocratic but TM can keep presenting the same deal over and over until she gets the answer she wants? Isn’t that undemocratic?
I voted to remain but excepted the majority verdict. I never expected to be in this mess 2 years on. I think it’s time TM resigned.

I agree wholeheartedly Tuppence - but after last night's performance I think resigning is completely outside her sphere of thinking, never mind considering and rejecting the idea.

Tuppence15, I am with you on this one and we can simply can't leave without a deal of sorts however much people think we can as we have to much to lose. The majority in the referendum vote was small so we really should have another. This lot in government will never ever come to a decision, they are all just thinking of themselves.

Railman ‘ Parliament is sovereign’ NO, the people are sovereign! And they, the people, voted to leave. Maybe by only a small margin, but the majority wanted to leave.
Why is choosing an M.P. or choosing a government by majority voting accepted but not a majority vote to leave?
This whole business is a battle between direct democracy and representative democracy.
We voted to leave directly and our representatives refuse to accept it, thats why we’re in this mess -

I hope we leave the EU on WTO rules. If May's deal is accepted, that is only the first step. We then have the Political Declaration to negotiate. If Theresa May has charge of that we could be negotiating for the next 20 years. Also I thought her speech last night, as a Prime Minister was an absolute disgrace. She tried to ingratiate herself with the people by blaming MP's for this mess and all she managed to do was to make the MP's angry and humiliate herself. I also agree with Ramblingrose22 as to May's mental health. There is something very wrong with her.

The Brexiteers’ idea of how WTO rules would work is pure fantasy

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/19/wto-brexit-trade-uk-economy

Dr Kojo Koram teaches at the School of Law at Birkbeck College, University of London, and writes on issues of law, race and empire

She’s gone all angry and headmistressy which isn’t an appealing look, plus she’s telling us what to think and blaming everyone else, which gets people’s backs up. Ok if you agree with her but few people do. I think people felt sorry for her last week with her croaky voice but today everyone seems against her.

If I'd run the school, of which I was Headteacher, like TM is ruining (not a typo) the country I would have been out on my ear, and rightly so.

She's the Jose Mourinho of politics.

I agree 100 with piscarii & irishlady,May has had nearly 3 years to negotiate a deal but she obviously doesn’t want to leave so is just wasting time & keeps bringing her recycled rubbish deal .We voted to leave the EU,May said many times ‘No deal is better than a bad deal’,she has also repeatedly said ‘No customs Union or Single Market’ which is what we voted for......a majority is just that ....a majority!!!!WTO .??????

We may not all have a Degree but many ordinary folk are fed up with being told what to do or how to think by the elite .We are not all stupid & are allowed an opinion,if Remaine had won the referendum that would’ve been that!

Its almost 3 years since the toxic referendum, it was won by a small majority, H Wilson said "a week is a long time in politics", so by that measure 3 years is an eternity, things move on, people change, situations change, no one can say what the benefits of brexit are, or will be, only what they aren't. The advice given in the referendum by a minority of the population is not holy gospel, it was just that, a snapshot of the time. It should be put to the people again, in the light of greater knowledge and understanding of the issues. If people still want to shoot themselves in the foot , fair enough. We've had general elections in shorter spaces of time, with changed results- is that undemocratic?

maddyone you are right. The horrible May deal is just what we voted for - half in, half out. We should all accept it but sadly it’s so horrible no one wants to.
Sometimes the reality is we just have to get on and make the best of what we have. It is probably the fairest to everyone, suits no one, and we just have to live with it.
And the other truth we may not all like is that we are a parliamentary democracy piscarii - and we have to live with that too.

I thought it was lovely that Mrs Merkel is supposed to have said she had no idea the whole process of hanging on a 17th century Parliamentary Statute!

sorry "was" not of

piscarii - but I and millions of us voted to join in the 1970s, and by ignoring that vote are we not in danger of being undemocratic?

There has been no campaign to leave the EU, supported by "the people". There have been no marches, no petitions, just a Tory party manifesto/Cameron claim that we need to refer to the people, and Farage/UKIP ratcheting up extremism.

So, if when we had no plan, no concept, or cost/benefit analysis of how leaving the EU would impact our economy, society, or way of life - why not have another vote if as you say - 'the people are sovereign' - or do we get only 1 chance in our lives?

If we only get one chance, what is the point of national and local elections - we all made a choice on a ballot paper years ago, so unless an MP or councillor has died, there is no point in another ballot.

I still have no idea how or in what way we people's daily life will be improved by leaving. May is currently behaving like a dictator, and that is troubling.

A number of people have said no to a customs union, or access to the single market.

Why? Does it mean we can charge whatever tariff we like to import stuff, or export stuff into the EU?

How will that help the engineers building wings for Airbus planes, or Jaguar Land Rover's 'Just In Time' production line - how can we be sure that the 'widgets' we import to fit onto sub-assemblies that are then re-exported back to the Honda plant in the Czech republic are to the right specification.

Will it impact medicines - it appears it will affect nuclear medicine, or other essential isotopes for industry?

How does a 'no deal' affect exports from the UK into the EU that are time critical - maybe foodstuffs or other perishables - what standards for checking and assurance of safety will be applied.

There are just so many questions, and so far, having read some of the Government, and the EU's impact assessments, the UK Government plans seem very short on detail and substance.

But - the bright spot on the horizon is this - the UK has NOT YET started trade negotiations with the EU. So a 'no deal' is only related to our leaving the club, and NOT how we trade with it in future.

“Not spaghetti”
Yes we are a parliamentary (a representative) democracy - with a big but - in 2016 Parliament freely agreed to transfer its power directly to the people on one clear matter, should we remain in the E.U. or leave.
They did this never guessing what the result would be - that just shows how hopelessly out of touch the political class are with us.

I agree with Piscarii, Irishlady and Nanniejc1.

I have read the question "What does leaving the EU look like?" so many times as though it's a scary prospect. Nobody ever seems to ask "What does remaining in the EU look like?" So many countries with failing economies, so much youth unemployment, so much corruption and debt. In my opinion remaining looks pretty darned bleak.

Perhaps TM is a secret leaver and her cunning plan has been to herd us towards a WTO outcome all along.

Just can't see the poi t in an extension unless there is some specific change to be worked on and so far we haven't been told of any. All the parties are having these inter party meetings to come up with a solution.I keep asking myself if they have the 'cure' why have they not announced months ago.

The extension is till 12th April apparently.

I thought the date of 12 April was if the WA were lost but that if it were won the date would be 22 May

No deal is the only real Brexit; everything else keeps us locked in for years, possibly for ever.