Whether or not Theresa May manages to bring forward another Meaningful Vote on her Brexit deal before 12 April, it now seems likely that — in an attempt to clear the Brexit log-jam — parliament will be offered a series of ‘indicative votes’, so that MPs have a chance to say what their preferred Brexit option would be.
There will probably be seven options:
- Theresa May’s deal
- No deal
- A second referendum (doubtless to be followed by months of wrangling on what the question would be)
- Revoke Article 50 (either to stay permanently in the EU or, as some have suggested, to begin the process of leaving again from scratch at a later date. However, a large number of petitioners would be delighted.)
- A Canada-style free trade agreement (which would require a customs border in the Irish Sea)
- The May deal, but with a permanent customs union (Labour’s preferred option in order to, umm, prevent the backstop from becoming a permanent customs union)
- The May deal, but staying in the single market (and accepting freedom of movement)
Unfortunately, like everything else in this sorry business, it isn’t as simple as that.
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