Editorial Board

Theresa May’s Disastrous Dithering

If the prime minister has a realistic new Brexit plan, she’s keeping it to herself.

January 30, 2019 at 5:10 AM UTC

By The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

Basically.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

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This article is part of the February 4, 2019 issue of businessweek.

On Tuesday night, the U.K. sent a resounding message to the European Union: “We demand that you give us what we want.” Don’t expect the audience to be receptive.

Parliament was considering changes to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, which it rejected by a spectacular margin two weeks ago. One measure that carried the day, and which May supported, was a kind of ultimatum. In effect, it tells the EU to reopen the agreement the two sides reached in November, do away with the so-called backstop that avoids a hard border with Ireland, and replace it with ... well, something else.