View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
  2. The Staggers
18 October 2018

Conservative MPs fear Theresa May isn’t being straight with them – they’re right

The Prime Minister is saying things about the transition period that simply aren't true - no wonder her pro-Brexit MPs smell a conspiracy.

By Stephen Bush

Theresa May continued to store up trouble for herself and her successors with another press conference in which she refused to come clean with journalists or her MPs about the nature of Brexit.

The topic this time was the transition period – the temporary arrangement in which the United Kingdom will sit between formally leaving the European Union before the new free trade deal between the UK and the EU is negotiated – or as May prefers to call it the “implementation period”. This is not an accurate way of describing it: nothing will be implemented in this period as it will be used to negotiate the new arrangement. The currently agreed transition period lasts 21 months – seven months shorter than the average 28-month period it takes to negotiate a trade deal. No-one believes that the trade talks between the UK and the EU are progressing at anything like average speed, let alone above average speed. In addition, there are many structural reasons why the pace of negotiations will likely slow – looming elections from 2019-21 across the European Union – while if current polling is to be believed, it is difficult to see how the ruling Conservative Party will manage to secure a big enough parliamentary majority to decisively resolve the Brexit question any time soon.

So the transition period is almost certainly going to have to continue for longer than the advertised 21 months. But that has nothing to do with the question of the Irish border, as May claimed today. The difficulty there is that the DUP doesn’t want a fallback arrangement – the so-called “backstop” – that only applies to Northern Ireland but the Conservatives don’t want a fallback arrangement that applies to the United Kingdom indefinitely. The Irish government doesn’t want a fallback that is of limited duration: so instead there is deadlock. This is not a problem that can be solved by extending transition for another three, four, five six years let alone by a couple of extra months. It is a problem that will only be solved by one of the negotiating groups involved backing down.

Sooner or later, a Conservative Prime Minister – perhaps Theresa May but more likely her successor – is going to have to explain why they are extending transition, if the United Kingdom even gets that far. No wonder pro-Brexit MPs worry that May is deceiving them – they are right to think so. Her explanation for what transition is, why it is needed and how long it will last simply isn’t the case.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Content from our partners
Development finance reform: the key to climate action
Individually rare, collectively common – how do we transform the lives of people with rare diseases?
Future proofing the NHS

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU