There was no great last-minute drama. The European Council signed off the Brexit deal in brisk fashion this morning, with leaders stressing that this is the best deal that they are going to offer the UK. But, of course, this doesn’t mean that everything is done and dusted. For now, Theresa May has to get this deal through parliament.
This morning there have been two reminders of how difficult this will be. First, Iain Duncan Smith confirmed that he will be voting against the withdrawal agreement. This is a blow as if IDS is voting against it, then the ERG rebellion is going to be north of 20—making it very hard to see a way through for this deal. At the same time, Lisa Nandy—one of the Labour MPs who had previously sounded sympathetic to voting for the deal—has said she won’t back it.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in