The perils of triggering Article 50 without a plan were laid bare this week after Theresa May returned from Brussels with a deal that is all-pain-no-gain for Britain and showcases the “Brexit at all costs” mentality of the PM.
With future trade agreements and the economic prosperity of the country at stake there is now a once unthinkable consensus on both sides of the Brexit divide that exiting the EU will be bad for the country.
May’s deal has united Leave and Remain parties and faces an uphill battle if it is to get the approval of MPs in a meaningful vote next month. As Politics.co.uk editor Ian Dunt noted on Twitter last night, it’s funny how “everyone now accepts it was foolish to trigger Article 50 without a plan”, when people at the time were unanimous that it had to be triggered “as soon as possible”.
But even the former director of the Vote Leave campaign claims they had warned the government about triggering Article 50 last year.
In a series of tweets, Dominic Cummings said: “Vote Leave said: do not commit to using A50 (Article 50). DD (David Davis) et al listened to bullsh** legal advice and led like lambs to slaughter by (Cabinet Secretary Jeremy) Heywood.
“I said triggering A50 quickly without plan and legal preps for no deal would be like putting a gun in mouth and kaboom. DD chose to do exactly that.
“The shambles now unfolding is a direct consequence of that historic unforgivable blunder.”
As Theresa May prepares to take her plan to the country, these significant government blunders should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.