Theresa May keeps everybody locked in Brexit purgatory

Theresa May tried to execute a u-turn while claiming to remain utterly consistent.
Having promised dozens of times to deliver Brexit on time on March 29, she told parliament she would support a short delay to the exit date if that was the wish of lawmakers. But her core message was unchanged: The choice before MPs next month will still be her deal, no deal at all, or no Brexit, she told them.
May’s offer is meant to appease moderates who want her to rule out no-deal while not angering Brexiters who want to keep the threat alive. And yet as May has often found, attempts to please all sides end up sowing confusion and mistrust.
The central problem with her attempt at reassurance is it’s not very reassuring. A brief extension if her deal is voted down would create a new cliff edge, perhaps making a no-deal exit even more likely (indeed, May says the delay would be a one-off event.) That would please Brexiters who want exactly that outcome, but it cannot fill other lawmakers with any confidence. What would happen after the one-off extension?
While May has promised parliament a vote on no-deal, she has not said how that outcome could be avoided. For now, it remains the default under British law. The only ways to avoid that: revoke Article 50, hold a referendum in which another outcome is agreed, or pass a deal. Indeed, it’s not clear what is the point of giving parliament another vote on avoiding no deal if, as May acknowledges, crashing out would remain an option after the delay anyhow.
That makes the vote on a cross-party amendment to take control of the Brexit process a test of whether her own party has any faith in her ability to deliver. The amendment would compel the government to seek a delay to the exit date in order to avoid a no-deal departure. It leaves to the government the question of how long an extension to request. But passing the amendment would be a sign that parliament wants a firmer pledge to avoid no-deal than anything May is willing to give. Nick Boles, one of the original Conservative backers of the proposal, has warned lawmakers that Wednesday’s vote is the last chance to get a delaying bill on the statute book in time.
Little wonder the pound has pared some of the gains it made after Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn indicated he would support a second referendum. If a no-deal exit is hell, May has just told lawmakers they can hang out in purgatory for a while.

—Bloomberg

Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe