“The last two years and more have been spent trying to cushion the blow of leaving the EU as much as possible.”
I would go further than that. Those two years have been spent trying to negotiate an alternative form of EU Membership which purports to suggest we had “left”. That is the root cause of this impasse.
Fortunately MPs have seen through this (ignoring the Labour dissenters who simply voted against the deal in an effort to destabilise the government). There is no way that any self-respecting MP could agree to Mrs May appalling deal and the idea that it is solely the Irish issue making it unpalatable is nonsense.
Believing that the EU would agree to us leaving on sensible terms was always a mistake but, bearing in mind the above, was no surprise. It was obvious a year or more ago that no such terms would be forthcoming. As I’ve said throughout, I don’t blame the EU. It’s their club, their rules. I blame our spineless (or perhaps more likely deceitful) politicians for acquiescing to the EU’s every demand. If you give in in that way, more and more demands will be piled on. And that’s precisely what has happened.
A Parliament with any integrity would recognise there are just two choices on offer: to leave with Mrs May’s deal or to leave with No Deal. A vote should be held on that basis forthwith because seeking a delay will simply mean the same situation prevailing at the end of that deferment.
“ And there is a deep dislike and suspicion of our closest European neighbours.”
No there isn’t. There is a deep dislike and suspicion of the supra-national organisation that control them (and even seeks to control some non-members). That’s completely different.