The dead cat...
It is quite interesting that at the moment the British government’s negotiating tactics are dictated by its domestic agenda. The PM is in deep, deep problems and all of a sudden the Northern Ireland Protocol is fine. It just needs tinkering with, no one seriously wants to totally re-write it and no one on the streets of Belfast is protesting about the role of the ECJ.
Fighting on two fronts is always a mistake, so perhaps this is wise; if extremely annoying to our EU friends. But what happens if the PM is in real danger?
The usual and cynical reaction is to find a political “dead cat” and throw it on the table, by the time everyone has got over the shock the serious crisis is behind you.
Picking a fight with Johnny Foreigner is the biggest and oldest dead cat available and this PM is such an egotist that he is perfectly capable of sacrificing Northern Ireland and the TCA to save his own skin.
After all who is going to stop him? His cabinet? I really don’t think so. His MP’s, elected by the UKIP vote and terrified of losing that support? His party, now firmly in the hands of the ultras?
For the man who can resist anything but temptation, it is a very tempting option.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.