Whilst the media and the opinionati are now busily in overdrive preaching their sermon on the content of the letter that has this afternoon been sent to the EU from No10, the fact is that the bones that protrude from the body of the Prime Minister’s own particular brand of formal correspondence certainly resembles a plan that could now have legs.
The most important element that was absent from the May Withdrawal Agreement was always the inability of the UK to unilaterally walk away at any future date, if an agreement over everything with the EU – that without it being there has what is in effect a unilateral veto – could not be reached.
But the way that Boris has addressed this certainly says to anyone who is both a Leaver and has an appreciation of the way that government processes and systems work, that there is a pathway to achieving a genuine Brexit tabled here, that with perhaps a bit more of the detail fleshed out first, really ought to be given the opportunity to work.
Clarity is vital for everyone outside of the Westminster bubble. The key elements of this approach need to be communicated much more effectively so that the general public, the owners and managers of businesses across the Country actually understand what the next steps would be, what they would look and more importantly feel like, and what the real day-to-day impacts on all of us, along with a realistic timeline would realistically be.
This is something that needs to come from the heart of Government itself. Not be left to the media channels to change, manipulate and immediately present differently – which is exactly what will happen if it comes to us directly from any source other than from where it actually came.
Yes there are questions that will need to be answered. But the most important elements here are not the same as those presented by Theresa May.
That is good enough reason to be hopeful that there could be a way forward that will at the very least be respectful of the European Referendum Result, even if some of the content is being presented as being just the same.
Let’s just hope that the EU see the doorway to opportunity that this approach now is, and that our Remain-collective-opposition can have a lucid moment and appreciate that this is likely to be the last option available to a scenario where this political generation can walk away with some kind of win.
image thanks to clipartpanda.com
Adam Tugwell 