Britain Must Accept the Hard Truth About Brexit

Britain's exit talks with the European Union resume this week -- following the release of position papers on what the U.K. government intends, and a notable change of approach by the opposition Labour Party. Up to a point, these developments are encouraging, but the basic problem remains: Prime Minister Theresa May's government is moving far too slowly.

The U.K. has now officially embraced the idea of a transitional deal to bridge the gap between exit in March 2019 and the conclusion of a long-term agreement. That's crucial. There's no chance of designing a final deal by that fast-approaching deadline.