Had Enough of Brexit? How About 10 More Years of it?
Today’s votes in Parliament can’t change the outcome: years of uncertainty and fraught negotiation.
What’s the deal?
Photographer: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images EuropeWhen moments of political drama capture the national attention, one at least expects some clarity to result. Alas, that would be setting the bar too high for Tuesday’s Brexit votes in the U.K. Parliament.
The decisions are, of course, important. Britain is conducting a painful negotiation with itself over what kind of Brexit it wants, and that means eliminating certain options. Much of the battle in Parliament is about avoiding leaving the European Union without a negotiated settlement. A no-deal outcome — which even proponents struggle awkwardly to defend — would maximize the economic pain, and be the height of irresponsibility for any government.